Only a fraction of patients with ischaemic diseases or diabetes are treated to recommended target values for plasma lipids.

INTRODUCTION

We tested the hypothesis that individuals in the general population with and without ischaemic cardiovascular disease, or with diabetes, are treated to recommended target values for plasma lipids.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We used the Copenhagen General Population Study in which 69,354 individuals were examined cross-sectionally from 2004 through 2010. Among this population, 1,521 had previously had myocardial infarction, 2,372 other ischaemic heart disease, 542 ischaemic stroke, 2,086 claudicatio intermittens and 2,155 had diabetes.

RESULTS

The fraction of participants using lipid-lowering therapy among those with myocardial infarction was 70%, other ischaemic heart disease 44%, ischaemic stroke 60%, claudicatio intermittens 33%, diabetes 48%, and for those without ischaemic cardiovascular disease 8%. Among those with myocardial infarction with and without lipid-lowering therapy, 41% and 84%, respectively, had not reached a total cholesterol < 4.5 mmol/l, 30% and 79%, respectively, had not reached a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol < 2.5 mmol/l, and 46% and 48%, respectively, had not reached triglycerides < 1.7 mmol/l. In those with other ischaemic cardiovascular disease, with diabetes or without ischaemic cardiovascular disease, a similar or larger fraction of individuals did not reach guideline lipid targets.

CONCLUSION

Large fractions of individuals with ischaemic cardiovascular disease or diabetes are not treated with lipid-lowering therapy. Even among many of those treated, plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides are not treated to guideline targets.