Drug treatment of hypercholesterolaemia.
We review the current drug treatment of hyperlipidaemia at our specialist out-patient clinics between October 1995 and December 1995. During this period, 523 patients received one or more lipid-lowering drugs. Each patient was assessed for his vascular risk, the number of lipid measurements before and after treatment and the type, duration and outcome of drug treatment. Only 30% patients achieved the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) targets recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program II: 14%, 37% and 71% of the high, moderate and low risk patients achieved the targets respectively. Most patients (62.7%) were treated after only one lipid measurement and less than 50% of patients had a post-treatment lipid measurement within 3 months. Although the majority of patients did not achieve the recommended LDL-C targets, their LDL-C was significantly reduced by 20%. A greater reduction of LDL-C (32%) was achieved by simvastatin monotherapy.
Tay
J C
JC
Department of General Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
Chee
Y C
YC
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015248:Gemfibrozil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D014280:Triglycerides; D019821:Simvastatin; D015248:Gemfibrozil