Kuwait doctors meet for major discussion on cholesterol

The meeting was convened as part of an ongoing series of events, aimed at helping patients to combat high cholesterol levels, which can have serious results including reduced blood flow to the heart, and ultimately myocardial infarction - more commonly known as a heart attack - which can prove fatal.

Heart disease is a major cause of death in Kuwait, with Ministry of Health statistics suggesting that a significant number of fatalities every year are caused by diseases of the heart.

Dr. Ibrahim Rashdan, consultant interventional cardiologist at Kuwait's Chest Disease Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Kuwait, addressed the meeting, which was chaired by Dr. Mohamed Zubaid, head of the cardiology division at Mubarak Elkabeer Hospital.

"The event aimed to improve awareness of the range of treatments available that can lower harmful LDL cholesterol," said Dr. Rashdan. "These drugs - known as statins - lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of serious cardiac events."

One of the subjects discussed was the results of the Lescol intervention Prevention Study (LIPS), one of the first clinical studies of its kind, which evaluated one specific treatment's ability to reduce cardiac events like myocardial infarction in patients following first per-cutaneous coronary intervention.

"The meeting examined the positive responses of patients treated with statins. The LIPS trial supports early therapy with Lescol (Fluvastatin) to all post per-cutaneous coronary intervention patients regardless of baseline lipid levels," added Dr. Rashdan.

A complicating factor in the treatment of many patients with high cholesterol is that, because they often suffer from other conditions being treated with a range of medications, the doctor has to ensure that interaction between different drugs do not cause harmful side effects.

"An important point when deciding on the treatment of people with high blood cholesterol is the strong likelihood that they suffer from other conditions, making them dependent on multiple medications," said Dr. Zubaid. "The LIPS study provides important clinical evidence that can help Kuwaiti doctors choose the correct treatments for high-risk patients."

Results from the LIPS trial have led experts to encourage the early use of Lescol XL (Fluvastatin) to high risk patients like patients with diabetes, multivessel disease and unstable angina.

Lescol XL (Fluvastatin) is widely acknowledged as an effective and safe cholesterol-lowering therapy. To date, more than six million patients have been treated in the United States with Lescol XL.