[Level of knowledge and action on lipaemia among Spanish primary and specialist care doctors. Press cholesterol study].
OBJECTIVE
To find the level of knowledge, the guidelines for action and the monitoring of lipaemia by Spanish primary care and specialist doctors.


METHODS
A self-defined questionnaire of 12 items was designed. Data on the population treated and the subjective evaluation of objectives, and on the management and monitoring of lipid parameters were filled in.


METHODS
A total of 1998 doctors from the whole of Spain took part; 68.8% of the doctors interviewed worked in primary health care and 30.2% in specialist centres or hospitals.


RESULTS
A 91% of the doctors said they followed international consensus on monitoring lipaemia. The most commonly used objective therapeutic parameter for treating lipaemia was LDL-cholesterol (83%), followed by total cholesterol (62%), HDL-cholesterol (56%) and triglycerides (51%). If the patient's lipaemia was well controlled, then 21.8% of doctors reduced the doses of lipid-lowerers. In general terms, no great differences were appreciated between the criteria followed by PC and by specialist doctors.


CONCLUSIONS
The criteria for action on lipaemia could be improved. There are no important differences of view or action in clinical and therapeutic criteria for Lipaemia cases between PC and specialist doctors.
Abellán Alemán
José
J
Cátedra de Riesgo Cardiovascular, Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), Murcia, España. jabellan@ono.com
Leal Hernández
Mariano
M
Martínez Pastor
Antonio
A
Hernández Menárguez
Fernando
F
García-Galbis Marín
José Antonio
JA
Jara Gómez
Purificación
P
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires