title: Coronary heart disease and dyslipidemia: a cross-sectional evaluation of prevalence, current treatment, and clinical control in a large cohort of Spanish high-risk patients: the PRINCEPS study.
abstract: The authors assessed a large cohort of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) or at high risk for developing CHD in terms of lipid profile, lipid-lowering treatment, and attainment of National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. The investigation was a cross-sectional study involving Spanish outpatients treated in primary or secondary care facilities. From a total of 26,598 attending patients, 12,128 with CHD or CHD risk equivalents were recruited by 1875 physicians; 49% had CHD and 69% had multiple risk factors. Only 25% of patients attained LDL-C values <100 mg/dL, 76.6% patients received lipid-lowering therapy (statins in 95.4% of cases), and 54% of physicians considered that a treatment change was required (the most frequent choice was the addition of ezetimibe to current statin therapy). In this large cohort of high-risk coronary patients, only 25% attained a target LDL-C of <100 mg/dL. These results highlight a need for improved patient care and physician awareness/training.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Schering Plough, Alcobendas, Spain. francisco.diaz.de.rojas@spcorp.com
authors.forename: Francisco Díaz
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: de Rojas
authors.forename: Trinidad
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Frutos
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponte
authors.forename: Joaquin Mateos
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chacón
authors.forename: Gustavo C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Vitale
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents