Pharmacogenomics of lipid-lowering therapies

Statins are the most widely used group of lipid-lowering drugs and they have been shown to be effective in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, primarily by reducing plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and possibly through other pleiotropic effects. However, there are large variations in lipid responses to statins and some patients have intolerable muscle adverse drug reactions, which may in part be related to genetic factors. In the last decade, pharmacogenetic studies on statins ranging from the candidate gene approach to the more recent genome-wide association studies have provided evidence that genetic variations play an important role in determining statin responses. This review summarizes the current understanding on the pharmacogenomics of statins and other lipid-lowering drugs in current use.