Effect of bile acid sequestrants on cardiovascular outcomes and seric lipids: A systematic review

Background Recent international guidelines have proposed statins as the corner stone of dyslipidemia management in adults. However it is not clear if they are best option for patients with statin related intolerance or what their adverse effects are. The bile acid sequestrants are an interesting alternative, however its evidence has not been carefully evaluated. Methods A search was conducted on MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane library databases for articles published up to June 2013, limited to Spanish and English language. Randomized clinical trials (RCT) and cohort studies evaluating the impact of bile acid sequestrants on mortality, cardiovascular outcomes, seric lipids and adverse effects were selected. Information was presented in a descriptive way. Results Four RCT and one cohort study with aggregate data on 6833 people were included. Just one study evaluated cardiovascular mortality showing no statistically significant difference when compared with placebo, (RR 0.76; 95% CI 0.5:1.15), however there was a 16% reduction on acute myocardial infarction incidence. (RR 0.84; 95% IC 0.67: 1.00). Three studies evaluated seric lipids changes showing a moderate reduction in LDL levels without clinical significant differences on HDL and triglyceride levels. Conclusions The evidence supporting bile acid sequestrants use is lacking and not conclusive to recommend its use as first-line therapy in dyslipidemic patients; however, these are an alternative option for patients with statin-related intolerance or adverse effects.