Dyslipidaemias and their treatment in high complexity centres in Colombia. / Las dislipidemias y su tratamiento en centros de alta complejidad en Colombia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Data is scarce on the distribution of different types of dyslipidaemia in Colombia. The primary objective was to describe the frequency of dyslipidaemias. The secondary objectives were: frequency of cardiovascular comorbidity, statins and other lipid-lowering drugs use, frequency of statins intolerance, percentage of patients achieving c-LDL goals, and distribution of cardiovascular risk (CVR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection from 461 patients diagnosed with dyslipidaemia and treated in 17 highly specialised centres distributed into six geographic and economic regions of Colombia. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age was 66.4 (±12.3) years and 53.4% (246) were women. Dyslipidaemias were distributed as follows in order of frequency: mixed dyslipidaemia (51.4%), hypercholesterolaemia (41.0%), hypertriglyceridaemia (5.4%), familial hypercholesterolaemia (3.3%), and low c-HDL (0.7%). The most prescribed drugs were atorvastatin (75.7%) followed by rosuvastatin (24.9%). As for lipid control, 55% of all patients, and 28.6% of those with coronary heart disease, did not achieve their personal c-LDL goal despite treatment. The frequency of statin intolerance was 2.6% in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Mixed dyslipidaemia and hypercholesterolaemia are the most frequent dyslipidaemias in Colombia. A notable percentage of patients under treatment with lipid-lowering drugs, including those with coronary heart disease, did not achieve specific c-LDL goals. This poor lipid control may worsen patient's CVR, so that therapeutic strategies need to be changed, either with statin intensification or addition of new drugs in patients with higher CVR.

Las dislipidemias y su tratamiento en centros de alta complejidad en Colombia / Dyslipidaemias and their treatment in high complexity centres in Colombia

ANTECEDENTES Y OBJETIVO: Los datos sobre la distribución de las dislipidemias en Colombia son limitados. El objetivo primario de este estudio fue describir la frecuencia de las dislipidemias; los objetivos secundarios fueron: la frecuencia de comorbilidades cardiovasculares, el uso de estatinas y otros hipolipemiantes, la frecuencia de intolerancia a estatinas, el porcentaje de pacientes en metas de c-LDL, y estimar la distribución del riesgo cardiovascular (RCV). MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal con recolección de datos retrospectiva que incluyó a 461 pacientes con diagnóstico de dislipidemia tratados en 17 centros cardiovasculares de alta complejidad en las 6 principales áreas geográficas y económicas de Colombia. RESULTADOS: La media (DE) de edad de los pacientes incluidos fue de 66,4 (±12,3) años. El 53,4% (246) eran mujeres. Las dislipidemias se distribuyeron así: dislipidemia mixta (51,4%), hipercolesterolemia (41,0%), hipertrigliceridemia (5,4%), hipercolesterolemia familiar (3,3%) y c-HDL bajo (0,7%). El medicamento más prescrito fue atorvastatina (75,7%), seguido de rosuvastatina (24,9%). El 55% del total de pacientes y el 28,6% de aquellos con enfermedad coronaria no estaban en metas de c-LDL a pesar del tratamiento. La frecuencia de intolerancia a estatinas fue del 2,6%. CONCLUSIONES: La dislipidemia mixta y la hipercolesterolemia son las dislipidemias más frecuentes. Un porcentaje considerable de pacientes en tratamiento, incluidos aquellos con enfermedad coronaria, no lograron sus objetivos de c-LDL. Este inadecuado control lipídico influye en el RCV y requiere un cambio en las estrategias terapéuticas, intensificando el tratamiento con estatinas o adicionando nuevos fármacos en los pacientes con mayor RCV

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Data is scarce on the distribution of different types of dyslipidaemia in Colombia. The primary objective was to describe the frequency of dyslipidaemias. The secondary objectives were: frequency of cardiovascular comorbidity, statins and other lipid-lowering drugs use, frequency of statins intolerance, percentage of patients achieving c-LDL goals, and distribution of cardiovascular risk (CVR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection from 461 patients diagnosed with dyslipidaemia and treated in 17 highly specialised centres distributed into six geographic and economic regions of Colombia. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age was 66.4 (±12.3) years and 53.4% (246) were women. Dyslipidaemias were distributed as follows in order of frequency: mixed dyslipidaemia (51.4%), hypercholesterolaemia (41.0%), hypertriglyceridaemia (5.4%), familial hypercholesterolaemia (3.3%), and low c-HDL (0.7%). The most prescribed drugs were atorvastatin (75.7%) followed by rosuvastatin (24.9%). As for lipid control, 55% of all patients, and 28.6% of those with coronary heart disease, did not achieve their personal c-LDL goal despite treatment. The frequency of statin intolerance was 2.6% in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Mixed dyslipidaemia and hypercholesterolaemia are the most frequent dyslipidaemias in Colombia. A notable percentage of patients under treatment with lipid-lowering drugs, including those with coronary heart disease, did not achieve specific c-LDL goals. This poor lipid control may worsen patient's CVR, so that therapeutic strategies need to be changed, either with statin intensification or addition of new drugs in patients with higher CVR

Corticoides: 60 años después, una asignatura pendiente / Corticoids: 60 Years Later a Pending Subject

El objetivo de este artículo es hacer una breve recopilación de la fisiología del eje hipotálamo-hipofisiario-suprarrenal, para comprender el papelde los corticoides exógenos como herramientas terapéuticas en innumerables patologías,que, utilizados de manera inapropiada, pueden causar efectos deletéreos importantes. La historia de los corticoides empezó hace 164 años, en 1843, cuando Thomas Addison describió los síntomas de la insuficiencia suprarrenal. Casi 100 años después, el 21 de septiembre de 1948, marcó un hito en la historia de la medicina, cuando, en la Clínica Mayo, el Dr. Hench inyectó 100 g de cortisona por primera vez en un paciente con artritis reumatoidea. En 1950, Hench, Kendall y Reichstein recibieron el Premio Nobel de Medicina y Fisiología. En la corteza de las glándulas suprarrenales se sintetizan, a partir del colesterol, tres hormonas diferentes con diversos efectos sobre la homeostasis. Los glucocorticoides sintéticos se clasifican por su potencia antiinflamatoria, vida media y efecto mineralocorticoide; operan en casi todas las células por medio de mecanismos de acción genómicos y no genómicos, lo que genera diferentes respuestas, de ahí su amplio efecto terapéutico en esclerosis múltiple, rechazo de trasplantes, enfermedades respiratorias, como asma y Epoc, entre otras.

The objective of this article is to make a brief compilation of the physiology of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in order to understand the role of the exogenous corticoids as therapeutic tools in innumerable pathologies, but when used inappropriately, it can produce important deleterious effects. The history of the corticoids began 164 years ago in 1843 when Thomas Addison described the symptoms of the adrenal gland insufficiency. On September 21st 1948, almost one hundred years after, Dr. Hench injected cortisone for the first time in a patient with arthritis. In 1950 Hench, Kendall and Reichstein received the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology. In the cortex of the adrenal glands, three different hormones are synthesized from cholesterol, and these hormones produce diverse effects on the homeostasis of the body. The synthetic glucocorticoids are classified by their anti-inflammatory power, half life, and mineralocorticoid effect; they operate in almost every cell through genomic and non genomic mechanisms of action producing different responses. This is the reason of their wide therapeutic effect in respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD, multiple sclerosis, rejection of transplants, among others.