Statin utilization and lipid goal attainment in high or very-high cardiovascular risk patients: insights from Italian general practice

Marcello Arca, David Ansell, Maurizio Averna, Francesca Fanelli, Katherine Gorcyca, Şerban R. Iorga, Aldo P. Maggioni, Georges Paizis, Radovan Tomic, Alberico L. Catapano

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Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Statin utilization and lipid goal achievement were estimated in a large sample of Italian patients at high/very-high cardiovascular (CV) risk.

METHODS: Patients aged ≥18 years with a valid low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) measurement in 2015 were selected from the IMS Health Real World Data database; non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) was assessed in those with available total cholesterol measurements. Index dates were defined as the last valid lipid measurement in 2015. Patients were hierarchically classified into mutually exclusive risk categories: heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (primary and secondary prevention), atherosclerotic CV disease (including recent acute coronary syndrome [ACS], chronic coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease), and diabetes mellitus (DM) alone. Statin and non-statin lipid-modifying therapy (LMT) use, and European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) guideline-recommended goal attainment, were assessed.

RESULTS: Among 66,158 patients meeting selection criteria, the overall rate of LMT prescriptions was 53.3%, including 7.7% on high-intensity statin therapy. Statin use was highest for recent ACS and lowest for DM alone. LDL-C goal attainment was 16.0% for <1.8 mmol/l and 45.0% for <2.5 mmol/l; 24.3% reached non-HDL-C <2.6 mmol/l and 52.2% were at <3.3 mmol/l. Goal achievement was greatest with high-intensity statin use.

CONCLUSIONS: Statin use in this cohort was consistent with previous reports in Italian patients at high/very-high CV risk, and low relative to statin use in other European countries. The low rate of ESC/EAS lipid goal attainment observed was consistent with outcomes of other European studies.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)120-127
Number of pages8
JournalAtherosclerosis
Volume271
Early online date17 Feb 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2018

Keywords

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
  • Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
  • Prevention
  • Statin

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