Undertreatment of hypercholesterolaemia: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the level of undertreatment of hypercholesterolaemia in the general population, taking intra-person variability in serum cholesterol concentrations into account, and to identify determinants of undertreatment of hypercholesterolaemia.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, data from two population-based surveys on cardiovascular disease risk factors conducted between 1987 and 1997 in the Netherlands were used. For all 64 757 respondents aged 20-59 years, treatment eligibility for lipid-lowering drug use was established according to the Dutch Cholesterol Consensus. Multivariate logistic models were used to identify determinants of undertreatment.


RESULTS
During the study period, 56.8% of the study population had undesirable cholesterol concentrations (serum total cholesterol> 5 mmol l(-1)) and 5.5% of those were eligible for pharmacological treatment based on their absolute risk of coronary heart disease. Of those eligible for pharmacological treatment, 16.3% were treated, and 19.6% of those treated had their serum total cholesterol concentration controlled. Only 3.2% of those eligible for pharmacological treatment were both treated and controlled. We identified several determinants for undertreatment, e.g. male gender and younger age for primary prevention and female gender and older age for secondary prevention. Treatment has improved slightly in more recent years.


CONCLUSIONS
Over 95% of the population eligible for the pharmacological treatment of hypercholesterolaemia was either untreated or was uncontrolled. To decrease undertreatment, identification of high-risk patients should be increased. Those who are treated with lipid-lowering medication could further benefit from more aggressive treatment, especially with statins.
Mantel-Teeuwisse
A K
AK
Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, PO Box 80082, 3508 TB Utrecht, the Netherlands. A.K.Mantel-Teeuwisse@pharm.uu.nl
Verschuren
W M M
WM
Klungel
O H
OH
Kromhout
D
D
Lindemans
A D
AD
Avorn
J
J
Porsius
A J
AJ
de Boer
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004608:Eligibility Determination; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002784:Cholesterol