title: Serum lipid profile on admission for ischemic stroke: failure to meet National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATPIII) guidelines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the characteristics of patients with stroke/TIA whose admission low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were above goals defined by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATPIII) guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1, 2003, to June 30, 2005, there were 1,212 discharges (1,033 stroke, 179 TIA), of whom 1,040/1,212 (86%) had lipid measurement. The preadmission individual LDL goal was determined using 2001 NCEP-ATPIII guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 284/1,040 (27%) whose measured LDL was greater than the individual preadmission LDL goal. Failure to be at goal was common even among those with previously diagnosed dyslipidemia (159/527, 30%) and those taking lipid-lowering agents (LLA) (71/370, 19%). LLA would have been indicated in 121/213 (57%) of those above LDL goal who were not already taking LLA, with optional consideration in 77/213 (36%). Lower LDL therapeutic targets were the strongest predictor, in a multivariable model, of failure to be at goal. Compared to LDL target <160 (reference), the OR for LDL target <130 was 6.4 (95% CI 3.4 to 12.0, p < 0.0001) and for LDL target <100 was 26.2 (95% CI 13.3 to 51.5, p < 0.0001). An increased likelihood of being at goal was associated with preadmission LLA (OR 4.2, 95% CI 2.9 to 6.2, p < 0.0001) and increasing calendar time (OR 1.09 per 3-month period, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.15, p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many patients hospitalized with ischemic stroke/TIA, including those with known dyslipidemia and those taking lipid lowering agents, have measured low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that is higher than recommended by national guidelines. Patients at the greatest risk of cardiovascular events are the least likely to be at guideline-recommended LDL levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. eesmith@partners.org
authors.forename: Eric E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Abdul R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.forename: Houman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amirfarzan
authors.forename: Lee H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Schwamm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015897:Comorbidity; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL