Dyslipidemia Management for Secondary Prevention in Women with Cardiovascular Disease: What Can We Expect From Nonpharmacologic Strategies?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women and the treatment of dyslipidemia is a cornerstone of secondary prevention. Pharmacologic therapy with statins can lower LDL-C by 30 %-50 % and reduce the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease in both men and women. While significant reductions in LDL-C can be achieved with statin therapy, diet and lifestyle modification remain an essential part of the treatment regimen for cardiovascular disease. Moreover, a large proportion of the US population is sedentary, overweight, and does not consume a heart-healthy diet. Nonpharmacologic treatment strategies also improve other cardiovascular risk factors and are generally easily accessible. In this review, we examine the effect of nonpharmacologic therapy on lipids as part of the secondary prevention strategy of cardiovascular disease in women.