In a world in which there are increasingly more and more cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, particularly prevalent in the adult population, the issue of efficacy and safety in the treatment of dyslipidemia is one of great importance. Worldwide, CV diseases are the leading cause of death and usually occur in patients withseveral CV risks factors, one of which is dyslipidemia.
Dyslipidemia, the risk factor behind almost all cases of atherosclerotic disease, is ubiquitous. Despite awareness campaigns about the risk of high cholesterol, the number of patients with dyslipidemia continues to grow. In fact, the trend istoward a more and more precocious start of the disease, somewhere in childhood or adolescence, thanks to the growing prevalence of obesity and harmful eating habits in children and teenagers.
There is a wide consensus regarding the pharmacological treatment of dyslipidemia, with statins being the undisputed first-line therapy in this field [1]. Indeed, a great many clinical trials and real-world registries have consolidated statins as the cornerstone therapy for dyslipidemia. Scientific guidelines have been pushing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) targets lower and lower, with the currently accepted notion that high-risk populations, such as those with diabetes and patients with known coronary artery disease, should aim for anLDL-C level no higher than 70 mg/dL [2]. For most patients, such a target is only achievable with high doses of potent statins or with combination therapy. This fact has brought the issue of statin safety to the center stage of CV risk management. This issue of Hot Topics in Cardiometabolic Disorders focuses on novel statin therapy—pitavastatin—detailing its unique safety and efficacy profile. Michel Farnier clearly demonstrates this in his article, which a state-of-the-art update on statin pharmacology and its impact on both lipid lowering and the drug-drug-interaction profile. The second article is written by Koichi Node, a prominent Japanese cardiologist with extensive experience with pitavastatin. He points out that while pitavastatin is new in Europe, it has already had a long and successful history in Japan.
After reading these articles, I am sure that you will share the strong conviction that pitavastatin, both due to its efficacy and safety, is a premium weapon in the never-ending battle against dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and CV disease.

REFERENCES

1. Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Executive summary of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA 2001;285:2486-2497.

2. Reiner Z, Catapano A, De Backer G, et al. ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemia. Eur Heart J 2011;32:1769-1818.