近十年來，對於改善血脂肪異常與預防缺血性心臟病之間的研究逐漸開展。對於建立新的治療標的與研發新的高血脂治療藥物也拓展臨床治療的選擇。不論病人是否具有冠狀動脈心臟病，STATIN已成為降低血膽固醇值與心血管疾病併發症最主要及最有效的藥物。最近研究指出，STATIN在治療心血管疾病的好處，不僅僅只從降低血膽固醇值方面解釋。一些改善血脂肪異常以外的效果，如抗發炎、抗增生及抗血栓效果，以及改善內皮細胞功能等，也扮演部份角色，本文將對這些改善血脂肪異常外之多重作用(extra-lipid pleiotropic effects)作概略介紹。

In the last decades, substantial progress has been made in understanding the relationship between lipid disorders and the prevention of cardiac ischemic disease. The identification of new therapeutic targets and new lipid-modifying agents expands treatment options. Statins have been described as the principal and most effective class of drugs to reduce serum cholesterol levels and cardiovascular events in patients with or without coronary artery disease. Since the discovery of the first statin nearly 30 years ago, this class of drugs has advanced to become the mainstay of cholesterol-lowering therapy. It was found during recent years that many of statins, positive effects could not be explained simply by lowering of atherogenic lipids. There were shown also to exist non-lipid-modifiable effects of statins called pleiotropic ones, which could be responsible for this additional benefit. The most important positive pleiotropic effects of statins are antiinflammatory, antiproliferative, and antithrombotic ones, improving endothelial dysfunction and others.