Glossary

atherosclerosis

disease in which plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries. Can lead to heart attacks and strokes. More here.

atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

precursor to strokes and heart attacks caused by build-up of cholesterol plaques on arterial walls.

atorvastatin

one of the most widely employed statins. Sold under brand name Lipitor as well as in generic form. More here.

ASCVD

atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, defined as a nonfatal myocardial infarction (heart attack), coronary heart disease death, or stroke.

bile acid sequestrants

resins used to lower cholesterol. The patient swallows the resins and the resins absorb bile acid in the digestive system, leading to lower levels of cholesterol production.

biomarker

portmanteau of “biological marker” - objective indication of medical state which can be measured accurately and reproducibly. The National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Definitions Working Group defines a biomarker as “a characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention.”

carotid artery disease

damage caused by deposit of cholesterol plaques on walls of blood vessels delivering blood to the heart. Risk factor for stroke.

cholesterol

important steroid in the human body. Plays important part in many biochemical pathways and especially in cell walls.

CK

creatine kinase

congestive heart failure

serious medical condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood to supply the needs of the body

coronary artery disease

damage caused by deposit of cholesterol plaques on walls of blood vessels delivering blood to the heart. Also called coronary heart disease. Atherosclerosis can affect any artery in the body but it is called CAD only if it affect the vessels around the heart.

c-reactive protein

biomarker in blood serum measured to get an idea of how much inflammation is in the overall body.

CVD

cardiovascular disease

dyslipidemia

unusual levels (high or low) of lipids in the blood. Usually high (hyperlipidemia). The fats can be triglycerides or cholesterol.

ethical drug

prescription drug

fibrate

one of a class of chemical compounds that are sometimes used to treat cholesterol problems.

fluvastatin

synthetic statin drug. Not used much.

Framingham coronary prediction method / Framingham risk score

method of estimating risk of heart problems based on patient characteristics. Derived from epidemiological evidence.

HDL - high-density lipoprotein or high-density lipids

colloquially referred to as "good cholesterol" - lipoprotein that forms dense solids

HMG-CoA

3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A/dd>

hypoalphalipoproteinemia

lower than desirable levels of HDL in the blood

hyperlipidemia

higher than desirable levels of lipids in the blood

hypertriglyceridemia

higher than desirable levels of triglycerides in the blood

LDL - low-density lipoprotein or low-density lipids

colloquially referred to as "bad cholesterol" - lipoprotein that forms less dense solids

lovastatin

early statin whose spectacular success paved interest in statin use on a large scale. Rarely used any more.

maximum tolerated dose (MTD)

highest dose of the drug that does not cause unacceptable side effects.

metabolic syndrome

a cluster of characteristics: overweight (in particular a large waistline), high triglyceride level in blood serum, ow HDL cholesterol level, high fasting blood sugar, and high blood pressure. If you have three or more of these you can be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

"multi source drug

generic drug

myalgia

fancy name for muscle weakness or soreness. Clinically this diagnosis is assigned only if there is no substantial increase in creatine kinase levels Myalgia can be a symptom of many causes and a side effect of statins. Just because a patient gets myalgia does not mean the statin therapy must be ended or changed.

myocardial infarction

Heart attack. Damage to the heart caused by a cut-off of blood.

myopathy

muscle problems due to dysfunction of muscle fibers with elevations in creatine kinase at least 10 times the upper limit of normal. Can result in aches and weakness. When a doctor finds this, he or she generally orders a lowering of the statin dose or halting statin therapy altogether or switching to a different statin.

myositis

inflammation of skeletal muscles

niacin

Vitamin B3. Important nutrient for body's function. Sometimes used to treat high cholesterol

NNH

number needed to harm

NNT

number needed to treat

pitavastatin

in the context of the circulatory system, a mix of fat, cholesterol, and calcium compounds that sticks to the inner walls of the arteries, possibly leading to a narrowing or blocking of the arteries.

plaqueplaque

newest statin on the market. Sold under brand name Livolo. Has not been widely used in the US.

pleiotropic effect

good side effect.

polypill

single pill that combines three or four drugs to combat cholesterol and metabolic syndrome problems

pravastatin

early statin. Rarely used any more.

Reynolds risk score

an improved version of the Framingham risk scoring system incorporating more variables for a more accurate prediction

serum cholesterol

-cholesterol or cholesterol bound with a protein in the blood. Not the same as cholesterol adhering to arterial walls or elsewhere in the body. Serum cholesterol can be measured and is an important biomarker for many conditions. .

steroid

broad class of organic compound, including cholesterol

SUM

statin-induced myopathy

simvastatin

most commonly prescribed statin. Once sold only under the brand name Zocor. Now available in generic formulation.

TC - total cholesterol

a measure of cholesterol level in the blood - usually expressed in mg/dL

torcetrapib

failed anti-cholesterol drug.

triglyceride

type of lipid compound. Most common type of fat in body.