Question

Jeremiah has been on lipid-lowering therapy (statins) for 2 years. He is new to your practice. He says, ""I haven't had my liver function tests (LFTs) in a while to check if my cholesterol medication is causing a problem."" What do you tell him?

A. "You've been tolerating the medication well. We no longer need to monitor this."
B. "Oh yes, we check liver function tests every 6 months when you're on statins."
C. "We'll order LFTs prior to your next visit."*
D. "We better stop your medication until we get the results."

Answer 1

Tell Jeremiah: "We'll order liver function tests (LFTs) prior to your next visit." Option c is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

Regarding the question about whether Jeremiah needs liver function tests (LFTs) while on statins, the most up-to-date clinical guidelines suggest that routine monitoring of liver enzymes is not necessary for patients taking statins unless they have symptoms of liver dysfunction.

Therefore, the correct response would be something along the lines of C: "We'll order LFTs prior to your next visit if you have symptoms or if it's clinically indicated." However, it is important to personalize medical advice, so a full evaluation of the patient's history, symptoms, and any risk factors for liver disease should be considered before making a decision.