TUESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- Control of low-density lipid cholesterol (LDL-C) has improved around the world in the past decade, but almost a third of patients still do not achieve optimal LDL levels, according to a study published online June 22 in Circulation.
David D. Waters, M.D., of San Francisco General Hospital, and colleagues analyzed data from the Lipid Treatment Assessment Project 2 (L-TAP 2) on more than 10,000 dyslipidemic adult patients who were put on lipid-lowering therapy in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, France, Taiwan, Korea and the Netherlands in 2006 and 2007. The study end point was the proportion of patients who achieved LDL-C goals in accordance with their risk status (low, moderate, high).
The researchers found that the overall success rate for achieving the LDL-C goal was 73 percent with the success rates for individual countries ranging from 47 to 84 percent. By risk category, the success rates were 86 percent for low-risk patients, 74 percent for moderate-risk patients, and 67 percent for high-risk patients. However, among patients with a coronary heart disease diagnosis and two or more risk factors, only 30 percent reached the LDL-C goal of less than 70 mg/dL.
"L-TAP 2 documents considerable improvement in LDL-C goal attainment since the original L-TAP study performed about a decade ago. However, approximately one third of patients still do not attain their LDL-C goal, with wide variation among countries," the authors conclude.
The study was supported by Pfizer Inc. Several authors of the study and accompanying editorial reported relationships with Pfizer, as well as other pharmaceutical companies.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)