title: Secular trends in lipid-lowering treatment and lipid levels after a first acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The beneficial effects of statins were unequivocally demonstrated in the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S) in 1994, leading to an increase in the use of lipid-lowering drugs. However, to what extent this translates into serum cholesterol levels in a real-life setting has not been systematically investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate secular trends from 1994 to 2002 in blood lipid levels among unselected younger patients after a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive single centre study using consecutive data collection in 781 patients (aged <65 years) hospitalized with a first AMI during the period 1994-2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1994-2002, the use of lipid-lowering drugs increased from 10% to 94% for men and from 23% to 90% for women. In 1994, the mean serum cholesterol levels were 6.53 mmol/l in men and 6.32 mmol/l in women, decreasing to 4.31 mmol/l and 5.13 mmol/l in men and women, respectively, in 2002. Still, only 56% of the men and 35% of the women had total serum cholesterol levels <4.5 mmol/l in 2002.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite a marked increase in lipid-lowering drug treatment in which there was an increase from about 10% in 1994 to more than 90% in 2002, current target levels of <4.5 mmol/l for serum cholesterol were not achieved in a significant proportion of post-AMI patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Ostra, Göteborg, Sweden. lena.m.bjorck@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Björck
authors.forename: Catharina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Welin
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosengren
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol