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The Potential Role of PCSK9 Inhibitors for Patients With Hyperlipidemia
John A. Johnson, MD, MBA: The PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitors are fairly new medications that have become available, and, again, as we’ve mentioned earlier, the statins are also available.
We’ve seen that even with maximum statin therapy with drugs such as Crestor or Lipitor (at the maximum dose), it’s still a challenge for some clinicians to get their hyperlipidemic patients to an LDL (low-density lipoprotein) below goal. Again, the goal depends on the risks the patient has. But, in general, an LDL below 100 would be acceptable for a diabetic or below 70 for a diabetic with heart disease.
So, it’s oftentimes difficult to push the statin to a high enough dose without causing some of the safety or tolerability concerns [for] the patient. You may have to move toward a combination therapy, and newer agents are becoming available. At the health plan [level], we make those medications available when we’ve seen documentation that other medications are less effective.
Addressing Racial Disparities in Minority Mental Health and Finding Support in 2025
July 18th 2025National Minority Mental Health Month emphasizes the persistent mental health disparities among US racial and ethnic minorities, stemming from lower access to services, lack of culturally competent providers, discrimination, and medical mistrust, underscoring the need for dedicated resources and community action.
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Lung Transplant Referrals Lag for High-Risk Patients With PAH
July 18th 2025Despite recommendations on early referral for lung transplantation in cases of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), there is a lack of in-depth understanding of this current landscape; in this analysis, clinical parameter data were used to compare outcomes between patients who were and were not referred for lung transplantation.
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