Secondary prevention of coronary heart disease: the role of fibric acids.

Areduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol lowers coronary heart disease (CHD) by 24% to 31% in subjects with prevalent CHD; this reduction occurs with the use of several statins, including simvastatin1 and pravastatin.2,3 Additional reductions in CHD could come from further reductions in LDL cholesterol, as was suggested by the Post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft clinical trial (POST CABG).4 An alternative approach is to attempt to reduce triglyceride levels and to raise levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.