[Do the patients we treat with hypolipemic drugs have a coronary risk?].

OBJECTIVE

To study the appropriateness of lipid-lowering drugs treatment through four methods of calculating coronary risk (CR).

DESIGN

Crossover study.

SETTING

Primary care centre.

PATIENTS

All patients receiving lipid-lowering drugs.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

CR was determined for individuals with application criteria by four methods: the simplified Framingham, Dundee-Risk-Disk, modified Sheffield label and Cardiovascular Risk in Primary Care (CVRap). 330 patients followed the treatment, 137 men and 193 women with an average age of 58.8 (SD 10.2). 54.2% received statims, 28.5% clofibrates, 13.6% resins and 3.6% other drugs. 186 patients were included, 75 (22.7%) being excluded because of secondary prevention and the rest because they were not the right age or had no cholesterol data prior to treatment. 38.3% were at high CR according to Framingham, 25.6% according to CVRap, 18.7% according to Dundee-Risk-Disk and 16% according to modified Sheffield. Concordance between these methods was adequate.

CONCLUSIONS

Between 16% and 38.3% of the individuals treated are at high CR. If we also include patients with severe Hypercholesterolaemia and diabetics with Hypercholesterolaemia, this percentage rises to 59.7-73.3%, according to the CR assessment method used.