Gregg C. Fonarow, MD Director, Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, Director Cardiology Fellowship Training Program, Co-Director, UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program, Associate Professor of Medicine, UCLA Division of Cardiology
Address: Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, Division of Cardiology, University of California-Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095; e-mail: gfonarow@mednet.ucla.edu
The author has indicated that he has received grant and research support from Pfizer, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and GlaxoSmithKline corporations.
His lecture at The Cleveland Clinic Division of Medicine Grand Rounds was funded in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer.
Medical Grand Rounds articles are based on edited transcripts from Division of Medicine Grand Rounds presentations at The Cleveland Clinic. They are approved by the author but are not peer-reviewed.
ABSTRACTIn patients with known cardiovascular disease and those at high risk for it, physicians must begin to treat atherosclerosis earlier, with combination therapy of statins, aspirin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and beta-blockers. In those hospitalized with a cardiovascular event, a statin should be started in the hospital, regardless of lipid levels. Patients with diabetes should be treated as if they have preexisting cardiovascular disease.
