title: Centralized Pan-European survey on the undertreatment of hypercholesterolaemia (CEPHEUS).
abstract: The CEntralized Pan-European survey on tHE Under-treatment of hypercholeSterolaemia (CEPHEUS) was initiated to quantify the degree of under-treatment of hypercholesterolaemia in Europe. Its primary objective was to establish the proportion of treated patients reaching the LDL-C goals according to the Third Joint European Task Force guidelines. Secondary objectives targeted subgroups of primary or secondary prevention patients and those with a metabolic syndrome. Further-more, CEPHEUS also aimed at the identification of determinants for under-treatment. Among the patients available for evaluation in Belgium (n=6276), 58.5% reached LDL-C goals as recommended by the 2003 European guidelines, 59.8% in primary prevention, 55.8% in secondary prevention, and 55.8% of those with a metabolic syndrome. The majority of patients (82.5%) was treated with statins. The univariate significant (P < 0.10) predictors of attaining LDL-C goal were the following: (a) nonsmoker, (b) no history of PAD or CAD, (c) absence of metabolic syndrome, (d) lower CV risk category, (e) absence of patient's concerns about treatment changes, (f) no withdrawal of lipid-lowering therapy when on target, (g) optimal. treatment adherence, (h) no patient's frustrations, (i) lipid-monitoring frequency, (j) physician being a specialist and (k) physicians finding it stressful to get patients on target. In an adjusted multi-level model, achievement of the LDL-C goals was significantly associated with: (a) type of lipid-lowering therapy, (b) risk category the patient fell into, (c) LDL-C level before initiating treatment, (d) patient's feelings about the treatment, (e) patient's acknowledgement about current cholesterol level and (f) self-reported drug compliance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetology and Nutrition, Université Catholique de Louvain, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels. michel.hermans@diab.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: Michel P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Mieghem
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vandenhoven
authors.forename: Eugène
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vissers
mesh_terms: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors