title: To what extent do patients in general practice reach guideline lipid-lowering treatment goals?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We assessed the extent to which the 1998 European guideline goals were reached among patients on statin treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 683 consecutive patients on statin treatment were recruited from 48 primary healthcare centres all over Sweden. Serum lipid levels and possible goal-reaching determinants were registered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment goal for total cholesterol was met in 55% of patients and for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in 60% of patients. Male sex and a history of diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular disease increased the likelihood of meeting treatment goals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than half of statin-treated Swedish primary care patients reached the treatment goals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Family Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology Section, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kristiansson
authors.forename: Ingela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Björholt
authors.forename: Annica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siewert-Delle
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Svärdsudd
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D013548:Sweden
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents