How Often Are Patients with Severe Dyslipidemia Diagnosed and Treated?

Despite patients' awareness of their hypercholesterolemia and physicians' diagnoses of severe dyslipidemia, few of these patients receive statins.

Individuals with severe dyslipidemia (LDL cholesterol level, ≥190 mg/dL) might have familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and are at markedly increased risk for adverse cardiovascular events. The 2013 cholesterol management guidelines recommend high-intensity statin therapy for primary cardiovascular prevention in these patients (NEJM JW Cardiol Jan 2014 and J Am Coll Cardiol 2014; 63:2935). Using U.S. cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (1999–2014), researchers determined prevalence, awareness, and treatment of severe dyslipidemia and FH.

Estimated prevalence was 6.6% for severe dyslipidemia and 0.47% for definite/probable FH, based on the Dutch Lipid Clinic criteria. Over 80% of the severe dyslipidemia/FH pop…

Reviewing Author

Fatima Rodriguez, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardNovoNordisk; HealthPals; Novartis; Amgen

EquityHealthPals; Carta

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association–Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

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