LDL reduction: how low should we go and is it safe?

High-dose statin therapy or combination statin treatment is necessary for most patients to achieve aggressive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals. Adding ezetimibe or bile acid sequestrants appears unlikely to increase the risk of myopathy. Although the combination of niacin or fenofibrate with moderate-dose statins appears to be reasonably safe, the safety of combination with high-dose statins has yet to be determined. To enhance patient outcomes, attention must be paid to characteristics that predict muscle and hepatic statin toxicity when considering using high-dose statin or combination statin therapy.