title: Long-term achievement of the therapeutic objectives of lipid-lowering agents in primary prevention patients and cardiovascular outcomes: an observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lowering elevated cholesterol levels reduces cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Nonetheless, most patients treated with lipid-lowering agents (LLA) do not reach recommended therapeutic objectives. In a setting of primary care in France, we investigated the association between LDL-cholesterol goal attainment and the occurrence of CV events in primary prevention patients with multiple CV risk factors (> or = 3). According to national guidelines, the therapeutic objective (TO) for such patients is an LDL-cholesterol value below 130 mg/dL.
  
  
  METHODS
  579 patients treated with LLA and with LDL-cholesterol values documented at least once a year over a period of at least 3 years (2000-2002) were allocated to three groups based on the number of years the TO was attained during the follow-up period: in all 3 years (TO+++: n=145), only part of the time (TO intermediate: n=256), and never (TO---: n=178). CV events (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, peripheral artery disease) occurring during the last year of observation (2002) were retrospectively collected. The occurrence risk (OR) of CV events was assessed based on TO status, with a logistic regression model to adjust for baseline differences in CV risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only a quarter of patients attained TO during all 3 study years. CV events during the third year of observation occurred in 5.5%, 10.5% and 12.9% of patients in the TO+++, TO intermediate and TO--- groups, respectively. Compared with TO+++ patients, the risk of CV events increased significantly in TO intermediate (OR=2.34, 95% CI=[1.01-5.39]) and TO--- patients (OR=2.99, 95% CI=[1.26-7.08]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In real practice, a prolonged attainment of TO is rarely observed in high CV risk patients treated with LLA as primary prevention. Therapeutic failure is related to an increased incidence of cardiovascular morbidity. Our data strongly support the need to improve adherence to treatment guidelines to achieve effective cardiovascular prevention.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Pharmacoépidémiologie, EA3091, CHU-Lyon, Sainte Eugénie (bat 5F), Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, 69495 Pierre-Bénite Cedex, France. eric.van-ganse@chu-lyon.fr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Ganse
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Souchet
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laforest
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Le Jeunne
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chretin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alemao
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Pouvourville
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019370:Observation; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents