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NLA Clinical Recommendations Page 2

Statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) are the most common form of statin intolerance and are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events that manifest from statin underutilization and discontinuation. 

The statement provides updates on the evidence-based facts about statins and statin intolerance and makes practical recommendations to aid clinicians in determining a therapeutic objective in contemporary clinical practice. Statin intolerance is defined as one or more adverse effects associated with statin therapy which resolve or improve with dose reduction or discontinuation and can be classified as a complete inability to tolerate any dose of a statin, or partial intolerance with inability to tolerate the dose necessary to achieve the patient-specific therapeutic objective.

The main goal of lipid testing is accurate identification of persons at high risk for ASCVD and the relevant science continues to evolve. Methods used to measure or calculate LDL-C from conventional lipid measurements are likely to be refined. Specialized evaluations of atherogenic lipid levels are generally not needed to assess patients prior to the initiation of aggressive lipid altering therapy.