Therapeutics – Cardiovascular System Practice Test

When you can’t use statins, the goal is to choose a non-statin therapy that reliably lowers LDL-C. Ezetimibe fits this role because it blocks cholesterol absorption in the gut by inhibiting the NPC1L1 transporter. With less cholesterol entering the liver, hepatic cholesterol stores fall, LDL receptors are upregulated, and more LDL-C is pulled from the blood. This yields about a 15-25% reduction in LDL-C as monotherapy and can be added to a tolerated statin dose if further lowering is needed to reach targets. While other non-statin options like niacin, fibrates, or bile acid sequestrants exist, they’re less commonly used specifically for statin-intolerant patients due to side effects or less consistent LDL-C reduction; ezetimibe is the preferred choice for lowering LDL-C in this setting.