title: Reduced treatment success in lipid management among women with coronary heart disease or risk equivalents: results of a national survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This survey assessed and compared National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Third Adult Treatment Panel lipid treatment goal achievement for men versus women undergoing treatment of dyslipidemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients receiving treatment for dyslipidemia from physicians (N = 376) in the United States who were high prescribers of lipid medications were enrolled in the NCEP Evaluation Project Utilizing Novel E-Technology (NEPTUNE) II. Data from a single office visit were collected and entered into the NEPTUNE software on a personal digital assistant and uploaded to a central database via the Internet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 4885 patients evaluated, 2103 (43%) were women. NCEP Third Adult Treatment Panel low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal achievement was similar between women and men with 0 or 1 risk factor (89% and 88%, respectively) and 2 or more risk factors (75% and 76%, respectively). However, fewer women than men achieved goal in the coronary heart disease and risk equivalents (CHD + CHD RE) category (50% vs 60%, respectively; P < .001). Logistic regression analyses examining the association between sex and LDL-C treatment goal achievement, and evaluating potential confounding by other predictors of treatment success, indicated an age-adjusted odds ratio of 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.56-0.77; P < .001) and a multivariate odds ratio of 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.93; P = .009) for women compared with men in the CHD + CHD RE category.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female sex was associated with lower likelihood of LDL-C goal achievement among patients with CHD + CHD RE. This relationship remained significant after adjustment for other significant predictors of treatment success.
authors.affiliation: University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Ansell
authors.forename: Gregg C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Fonarow
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.forename: Mary R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dicklin
authors.forename: Margie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL