A 60-year-old man is discharged 4 days after an NSTEMI. His LDL cholesterol at admission was 132 mg/dL. According to current ESC/EAS guidelines, what is the target LDL cholesterol level for this patient?

• A <40 mg/dL
• B <55 mg/dL ✓
• C <70 mg/dL
• D <100 mg/dL

Explanation

The 2019 ESC/EAS dyslipidemia guidelines classify patients with documented atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (including MI) as very high risk. For very high-risk patients, the recommended LDL-B target is <55 mg/dL and at least a 50% reduction from baseline. High-intensity statin therapy (atorvastatin 40-80 mg or rosuvastatin 20-40 mg) is recommended as first-line. Ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors are added if target is not met.

Reference: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 21st ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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