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Trends in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and lipid management: a population-level observational cohort study in Wales

Daniel Harris, Daniel King Orcid Logo, Ashley Akbari Orcid Logo, Michael Gravenor Orcid Logo, Mathew Lawrence, Clive Weston Orcid Logo, Chris Hopkins Orcid Logo, Leighton Phillips Orcid Logo, Julian Halcox Orcid Logo

European Journal of Preventive Cardiology

Swansea University Authors: Daniel Harris, Daniel King Orcid Logo, Ashley Akbari Orcid Logo, Michael Gravenor Orcid Logo, Clive Weston Orcid Logo, Julian Halcox Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1093/eurjpc/zwae233

Abstract

AimsEuropean clinical guidelines recommend that patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), including ischaemic heart disease (IHD), stroke and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), are prescribed lipid lowering treatment (LLT) and treated to target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol...

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Published in: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
ISSN: 2047-4873 2047-4881
Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2024
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67165
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Abstract: AimsEuropean clinical guidelines recommend that patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), including ischaemic heart disease (IHD), stroke and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), are prescribed lipid lowering treatment (LLT) and treated to target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. This study aimed to document trends in ASCVD including treatment, monitoring, and achievement of target LDL-C.MethodA retrospective observational population study using linked health-care data (2010-22).ResultsOver the study period the number of patients with ASCVD increased from 181,153 to 207,747 (8882 to 9398 per 100,000). The proportion of patients prescribed LLT decreased from 75.3% in 2010 to 67.1% in 2022; high-intensity statin therapy increased from 9.4% to 25.2% and non-high-intensity statin therapy decreased from 59.6% to 38.2%. The prescribing of high-intensity statin therapy was consistently higher amongst patients with IHD (10.9% in 2010 increasing to 28.0% in 2022) than in patients with stroke (4.7% to 21.6%) or PAD (3.9% to 10.6%).The proportion of cases with documented LDL-C decreased from 58.0% in 2010 to 49.3% in 2022. Of those with documented LDL-C in 2022, 44.0% achieved LDL-C <1.8 mmol/L, including 45.2% of those with IHD, 42.0% of those with stroke and only 32.8% of those with PAD.ConclusionPrescribing of LLT, including HI-statin therapy, documentation of LDL-C and achievement of target LDL-C levels was relatively low, especially in PAD patients. Although target achievement in “tested patients” increased over time, the proportion of patients undergoing lipid testing declined. More rigorous lipid management requires prioritisation, especially for PAD and stroke patients.
Keywords: Lipids, cholesterol, atherosclerosis, statin, pharmacoepidemiology
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Funders: Swansea University