Optimizing Dyslipidemia Management for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: a Focus on Risk Assessment and Therapeutic Options.

Primary prevention of incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) as well as decreasing the risk of future events in those with established atherosclerosis is critical from a public health perspective. Management of dyslipidemias constitutes a key target in decreasing the risk of developing ASCVD events. While there have been great strides in the treatment of dyslipidemia over the last three decades, there are important recent developments and ongoing research that will expand the available therapeutic options and enable further cardiovascular risk reduction. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this paper is to review new developments relating to the primary prevention and management of ASCVD with a specific focus on optimizing the treatment of dyslipidemias. RECENT FINDINGS: In the realm of ASCVD risk prediction, mounting evidence over the last decade has demonstrated that coronary artery calcium testing is superior to any serum biomarker in the prediction of future ASCVD events and in discriminating future cardiovascular risk. As such, it has been incorporated into the most recent ACC/AHA primary prevention guideline to help guide management decisions in select patients. In terms of the management of dyslipidemias, PCSK9 inhibitors lower LDL-C by 50-70% and provide an additional 15% reduction in key cardiovascular events in high-risk patients with known ASCVD, as demonstrated in the ODYSSEY and FOURIER trials. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors, which significantly increase HDL-C levels, demonstrated mixed results in large clinical trials and have helped reframe HDL-C as a risk marker rather than a modifiable risk factor. In regard to the management of triglycerides, the REDUCE-IT trial demonstrated a nearly 5% absolute reduction in key cardiovascular events with a highly purified fish-oil derivative named icosapent ethyl in high-risk patients already on statin therapy. Finally, in regard to lipoprotein(a)-which is a strong risk factor for ASCVD-there are exciting developments in the therapeutic pipeline which reduce circulating lipoprotein(a) levels by nearly 90%. The management of dyslipidemias continues to be an exciting field with several ongoing cardiovascular outcomes trials, improvement in risk prediction models, and new therapeutic agents in the pipeline that will further mitigate residual cardiovascular risk in both primary and secondary prevention patients.

Trial design and methodology for a non-restricted sequential multiple assignment randomized trial to evaluate combinations of perinatal interventions to optimize women's health.

Pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) independently predict negative maternal and child health outcomes. To date, however, interventions that target GWG have not produced lasting improvements in maternal weight or health at 12-months postpartum. Given that interventions solely aimed at addressing GWG may not equip women with the skills needed for postpartum weight management, interventions that address health behaviors over the perinatal period might maximize maternal health in the first postpartum year. Thus, the current study leveraged a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) design to evaluate sequences of prenatal (i.e., during pregnancy) and postpartum lifestyle interventions that optimize maternal weight, cardiometabolic health, and psychosocial outcomes at 12-months postpartum. Pregnant women (N = 300; ≤16 weeks pregnant) with overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) are being recruited. Women are randomized to intervention or treatment as usual on two occasions: (1) early in pregnancy, and (2) prior to delivery, resulting in four intervention sequences. Intervention during pregnancy is designed to moderate GWG and introduce skills for management of weight as a chronic condition, while intervention in the postpartum period addresses weight loss. The primary outcome is weight at 12-months postpartum and secondary outcomes include variables of cardiometabolic health and psychosocial well-being. Analyses will evaluate the combination of prenatal and postpartum lifestyle interventions that optimizes maternal weight and secondary outcomes at 12-months postpartum. Optimizing the sequence of behavioral interventions to address specific needs during pregnancy and the first postpartum year can maximize intervention potency and mitigate longer-term cardiometabolic health risks for women.

How Genomics Is Personalizing the Management of Dyslipidemia and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: To summarize advances in genomic medicine and anticipated future directions to improve cardiovascular risk reduction. RECENT FINDINGS: Mendelian randomization and genome-wide association studies have given significant insights into the role of genetics in dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD), with over 160 gene loci found to be associated with coronary artery disease to date. This has enabled the creation of genetic risk scores that have demonstrated improved risk prediction when added to clinical markers of CVD risk. Incorporation of genomic data into clinical patient care is on the horizon. Genomic medicine is expected to offer improved risk assessment, determination of targeted treatment strategies, and improved detection of lipid disorders causal to CVD development.

Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: Review of the American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2018.

Description: The American Diabetes Association (ADA) annually updates its Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes to provide clinicians, patients, researchers, payers, and other interested parties with evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients with diabetes. Methods: For the 2018 standards, the ADA Professional Practice Committee searched MEDLINE through November 2017 to add, clarify, or revise recommendations on the basis of new evidence. The committee rated the recommendations as A, B, or C depending on the quality of evidence or E for expert consensus or clinical experience. The standards were reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee of the ADA Board of Directors, which includes health care professionals, scientists, and laypersons. Feedback from the larger clinical community informed revisions. Recommendations: This synopsis focuses on guidance relating to cardiovascular disease and risk management in nonpregnant adults with diabetes. Recommendations address diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension and dyslipidemia), aspirin use, screening for and treatment of coronary heart disease, and lifestyle interventions.

Loss of microRNA-22 prevents high-fat diet induced dyslipidemia and increases energy expenditure without affecting cardiac hypertrophy.

Obesity is associated with development of diverse diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and dyslipidemia. MiRNA-22 (miR-22) is a critical regulator of cardiac function and targets genes involved in metabolic processes. Previously, we generated miR-22 null mice and we showed that loss of miR-22 blunted cardiac hypertrophy induced by mechanohormornal stress. In the present study, we examined the role of miR-22 in the cardiac and metabolic alterations promoted by high-fat (HF) diet. We found that loss of miR-22 attenuated the gain of fat mass and prevented dyslipidemia induced by HF diet, although the body weight gain, or glucose intolerance and insulin resistance did not seem to be affected. Mechanistically, loss of miR-22 attenuated the increased expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and inflammation mediated by HF diet. Similarly, we found that miR-22 mediates metabolic alterations and inflammation induced by obesity in the liver. However, loss of miR-22 did not appear to alter HF diet induced cardiac hypertrophy or fibrosis in the heart. Our study therefore establishes miR-22 as an important regulator of dyslipidemia and suggests it may serve as a potential candidate in the treatment of dyslipidemia associated with obesity.

Cardiovascular Risk Assessment: A Systematic Review of Guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Many guidelines exist for screening and risk assessment for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in apparently healthy persons. PURPOSE: To systematically review current primary prevention guidelines on adult cardiovascular risk assessment and highlight the similarities and differences to aid clinician decision making. DATA SOURCES: Publications in MEDLINE and CINAHL between 3 May 2009 and 30 June 2016 were identified. On 30 June 2016, the Guidelines International Network International Guideline Library, National Guideline Clearinghouse, National Library for Health Guidelines Finder, Canadian Medical Association Clinical Practice Guidelines Infobase, and Web sites of organizations responsible for guideline development were searched. STUDY SELECTION: 2 reviewers screened titles and abstracts to identify guidelines from Western countries containing recommendations for cardiovascular risk assessment for healthy adults. DATA EXTRACTION: 2 reviewers independently assessed rigor of guideline development using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument, and 1 extracted the recommendations. DATA SYNTHESIS: Of the 21 guidelines, 17 showed considerable rigor of development. These recommendations address assessment of total cardiovascular risk (5 guidelines), dysglycemia (7 guidelines), dyslipidemia (2 guidelines), and hypertension (3 guidelines). All but 1 recommendation advocates for screening, and most include prediction models integrating several relatively simple risk factors for either deciding on further screening or guiding subsequent management. No consensus on the strategy for screening, recommended target population, screening tests, or treatment thresholds exists. LIMITATION: Only guidelines developed by Western national or international medical organizations were included. CONCLUSION: Considerable discrepancies in cardiovascular screening guidelines still exist, with no consensus on optimum screening strategies or treatment threshold. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Barts Charity.

A randomized pilot trial of a full subsidy vs. a partial subsidy for obesity treatment.

Intensive obesity treatment is mandated by federal health care reform but is costly. A partial subsidy for obesity treatment could lower the cost of treatment, without reducing its efficacy. This study sought to test whether a partial subsidy for obesity treatment would be feasible, as compared to a fully subsidized intervention. The study was a pilot randomized trial. Participants (n = 50) were primary care patients with obesity and at least one comorbid condition (diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or obstructive sleep apnea). Each participant received eight weight loss counseling visits as well as portion-controlled foods for weight loss. Participants were randomized to full subsidy or partial subsidy (2 vs. 1 meal per day provided). The primary outcome was weight change after 4 months. Secondary outcomes included changes in blood pressure, waist circumference, and health-related quality of life. Participants in the full and partial subsidy groups lost 5.9 and 5.3 kg, equivalent to 5.3% and 5.1% of initial weight, respectively (P = 0.71). Changes in secondary outcomes were similar in the two groups. A partial subsidy was feasible and induced a clinically similar amount of weight loss, compared to a full subsidy. Large-scale testing of economic incentives for weight control is merited given the federal mandate to offer weight loss counseling to obese patients.

Racial and geographic differences in prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia: the reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke (REGARDS) study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There are racial and geographic disparities in stroke mortality, with higher rates among African Americans (AAs) and those living in the southeastern US ('stroke belt'). Racial and geographic differences in dyslipidemia prevalence, awareness, treatment and control may, in part, account for the observed disparities in stroke mortality. METHODS: Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) is a national observational study of community-dwelling black and white participants aged 45 and older, with oversampling from the stroke belt. As of January 15, 2007, 26,122 participants were enrolled and a fasting lipid panel was available of 21,068. Awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia were estimated overall and compared across race-sex-region strata. RESULTS: There were 55% of the participants with dyslipidemia and no racial differences in prevalence. Adjusting for demographic and established stroke risk factors, AAs had a lower prevalence (OR 0.74; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.77) and were less likely to be aware (0.69; 0.61, 0.78), treated (0.77; 0.67, 0.89) and controlled (0.67; 0.58, 0.77) than whites. There was lower control outside of the stroke belt (0.87; 0.76, 0.99). CONCLUSION: Racial, but not geographic, differences in dyslipidemia management may play a role in the excess stroke burden in the Southeast.

[Exercise for prevention of osteoporosis and other lifestyle-related diseases].

The prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases including hypertension, dyslipidemia (hyperlipidemia) and diabetes increases with aging, and all these conditions are risk factors of arteriosclerotic diseases such as cerebrovascular event (stroke) and myocardial infarction. The term "metabolic domino" has been used to describe the collective concept of the development and progression of these lifestyle-related diseases, the sequence of events, and the progression process of complications. Like the first tile of a domino toppling game, undesirable lifestyle such as overeating and underexercising first triggers obesity, and is followed in succession by onset of an insulin resistance state (underlied by a genetic background indigenous to Japanese) , hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and further postprandial hyperglycemia (the pre-diabetic state) , the so-called metabolic syndrome, at around the same time. On the other hand, apart from the other lifestyle-related diseases, the prevalence of osteoporosis also increases rapidly accompanying aging. Osteoporosis is known to be strongly related to disorders due to the metabolic domino such as arteriosclerosis and vascular calcification, and a new disease category called "osteo-vascular interaction" has attracted attention recently. Regarding "osteo-vascular interaction" , a close relation between bone density loss or osteoporotic changes and vascular lesion-associated lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes has been reported. Therefore, as a common preventive factor for bone mass loss or osteoporosis and lifestyle-related diseases including hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes (osteo-vascular interaction) , exercise has been recognized anew as an important non-pharmaceutical therapy that should take top priority. This article overviews the evidence of exercise therapy for the prevention of osteoporosis and other lifestyle-related diseases, from the viewpoint of health promotion, especially of the skeletal system (motor system) .

A longitudinal assessment of lipids in youth with type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Type 1 diabetes and dyslipidemia are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the relationship between lipid levels in youth with type 1 diabetes and future CVD remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To characterize lipid levels and CVD risk factors over time in youth with type 1 diabetes. SUBJECTS: The study included adolescents with type 1 diabetes (12-25 yr) with a minimum of 3-yr follow-up. METHODS: A longitudinal prospective, observational study of 46 youth with type 1 diabetes was performed. Fasting lipid profiles, A1C, and body mass index (BMI) were measured every 6 months for at least 3 yr (median 4.2 yr). Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) were divided into categorical variables. RESULTS: At baseline, median age was 14.3 yr, mean diabetes duration was 6.4 ± 3.8 yr, mean A1C was 8.1 ± 1.0%, and median BMI z-score was 0.92. Fifty percent of subjects had LDL levels ≤ 100 mg/dL (≤ 2.6 mmol/L) at study onset. After adjusting for confounding factors, increasing BMI z-score [ß = 0.2, 95% confidence interval (CI ) = 0.03-0.38, p = 0.03] and increasing A1C (ß = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.08-0.29, p = 0.001) were associated with increasing LDL category over time. Non-Hispanic ethnicity (ß = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.12-0.79, p = 0.008) and family history of stroke (ß = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.04-0.72, p = 0.03) were also associated with increasing LDL category. Age, diabetes duration, and tobacco exposure were not related to change in LDL. Increasing A1C was associated with increases in TG (ß = 18.1, 95% CI = 2.3-33.9, p = 0.03), TC (ß = 20.3, 95% CI = 9.0-31.5, p < 0.0001), and LDL (ß = 13.4, 95% CI = 3.17- 23.6, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Glycemic control and BMI are modifiable risk factors for dyslipidemia in youth with type 1 diabetes.

Aspectos clínicos e socioeconômicos das dislipidemias em portadores de doenças cardiovasculares / Clinical and socioeconomic aspects of dyslipidemia in patients with cardiovascular diseases

O presente artigo aborda os aspectos clínicos e socioeconômicos decorrentes da presença de dislipidemias em portadores de doenças cardiovasculares (DCV). Existem inúmeros estudos relacionados às DCV, uso de hipolipemiantes orais como as estatinas, e os aspectos econômicos envolvidos com impacto na área da saúde. Além de evidenciar a importância do tratamento das dislipidemias, o artigo busca demonstrar o ponto de vista farmacoeconômico, ou seja, dos custos gerados com o tratamento farmacológico desta patologia versus os custos decorrentes dos eventos cardiovasculares acometidos e suas consequências. Existe, portanto, relevante relação entre os impactos sociais decorrentes de incapacidade física e laborativa, aposentadorias precoces, entre outros custos importantes que poderiam ser evitados com uma análise econômica abrangente e eficiente realizada nos serviços de saúde do Brasil. Neste contexto, é enfatizada a importância da análise conjunta dos aspectos clínicos e socioeconômicos das dislipidemias que poderiam influenciar nas decisões das autoridades de saúde no momento da elaboração de protocolos clínicos de tratamentos farmacológicos a serem implementados no SUS.

This paper discusses the clinical and socioeconomic factors arising from the presence of dyslipidemia in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). There are numerous studies related to CVD, oral use of statins as statins, and the economics aspects involved with an impact on health. In addition to demonstrating the importance of the treatment of dyslipidemia, the paper shows the pharmacoeconomic viewpoint, i.e. costs generated by the pharmacological treatment of this disease versus the costs of cardiovascular events and their consequences. There is therefore relevant relationship between the social impacts arising from physical disability and work, early retirements, among other important costs that could be avoided with a comprehensive economic analysis and efficient health services in Brazil. In this context, we emphasize the importance of joint analysis of the clinical and socioeconomic aspects of dyslipidemia that could influence the decisions of health authorities at the time of preparation of clinical protocols of pharmacological treatments to be implemented within the SUS.

Reductions in medications with substantial weight loss with behavioral intervention.

Medical costs of obesity in the United States exceed $147 billion annually with medication costs making a sizable contribution. We examined medication costs associated with substantial weight losses in an intensive behavioral weight loss program. Inclusion criteria were medication use for obesity co-morbidities: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, degenerative joint disease, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Group A, 83 obese patients on medications completed 8 weeks of classes, lost 19 kg in 20 weeks. Group B, 100 severely obese patients, lost 59 kg in 45 weeks. Medications were discontinued: Group A, 18%; Group B, 64%. Mean numbers of medications decreased significantly for all co-morbidities. Mean numbers of daily medications, initial and final, respectively were: Group A, total, 3.0 ± 0.2 (mean ± SEM) and 1.7 ± 0.2; Group B, total, 2.5 ± 0.2 and 0.7 ± 0.1. Monthly costs for all medications decreased significantly for all co-morbidities and were as follows: Group A, total, $249 ± 25 and $153 ± 19; Group B: total, $237 ± 27 and $65 ± 12. Medically supervised weight loss is very effective approach for improving cardiovascular risk factors and reducing medical costs.

Blood pressure control and antihypertensive pharmacotherapy patterns in a hypertensive population of Eastern Central Region of Portugal.

BACKGROUND: Interventions to improve blood pressure control in hypertension have had limited success in clinical practice despite evidence of cardiovascular disease prevention in randomised controlled trials.The objectives of this study were to evaluate blood pressure control and antihypertensive pharmacotherapy patterns in a population of Eastern Central Region of Portugal, attending a hospital outpatient clinic (ambulatory setting) for routine follow-up. METHODS: Medical data of all patients that attended at least two medical appointments of hypertension/dyslipidemia in a university hospital over a one and a half year period (from January 2008 to June 2009) were retrospectively analysed. Demographic variables, clinical data and blood pressure values of hypertensive patients included in the study, as well as prescribing metrics were examined on a descriptive basis and expressed as the mean ± SD, frequency and percentages. Student's test and Mann-Whitney rank sum test were used to compare continuous variables and χ2 test and Fisher exact probability test were used to test for differences between categorical variables. RESULTS: In all, 37% of hypertensive patients (n = 76) had their blood pressure controlled according to international guidelines. About 45.5% of patients with a target blood pressure <140/90 mmHg (n = 156) were controlled, whereas in patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease (n = 49) the corresponding figure was only 10.2% (P < 0.001). Among patients initiating hypertension/dyslipidemia consultation within the study period 32.1% had stage 2 hypertension in the first appointment, but this figure decreased to 3.6% in the last consultation (P = 0.012). Thiazide-type diuretics were the most prescribed antihypertensive drugs (67%) followed by angiotensin receptor blockers (60%) and beta-blockers (43%). About 95.9% patients with comorbid diabetes were treated with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically important blood pressure decreases can be achieved soon after hypertension medical appointment initiation. However, many hypertensive patients prescribed with antihypertensive therapy fail to achieve blood pressure control in clinical practice, this control being worse among patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease. As pharmacotherapy patterns seem to coincide with international guidelines, further research is needed to identify the causes of poor blood pressure control.

The impact of diabetes and associated cardiometabolic risk factors on members: strategies for optimizing outcomes.

BACKGROUND: In the past decade, the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome has increased exponentially. Estimated national spending on direct costs related to these conditions exceeds $90 billion for overweight and obesity, $90 billion for diabetes, and $250 billion for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Spending on prescription drugs that are used to modify cardiometabolic risk (CMR) is both a major component of all spending on prescription drugs and a leading cause of the increase in such spending. Also, spending on antihyperglycemic agents is projected to become the largest single component of all spending on prescription drugs in the near future. As the use of antihyperglycemic agents continues to increase, there is a growing need to evaluate the relative and comparative cost-effectiveness of these products. As new antihyperglycemic agents appear, physicians and health plans may begin differentiating products in this category not only on the basis of their use in achieving glycemic control, but also in the context of their effect on global CMR factor modification. OBJECTIVE: To describe the effect of overall CMR on clinical outcomes and costs in patients with diabetes. SUMMARY: Metabolic syndrome is defined as a clustering of risk factors that identify those at increased risk of CVD and diabetes. Although the exact definition and clinical use of the term "metabolic syndrome" are debated, the clinical community is united in identifying its individual risk factors as important contributors to the development of cardiometabolic disease. Two of the most important points of consensus are that diabetes significantly increases the risk of CVD and that the CVD risk associated with metabolic syndrome is greater than the sum of its measured risk factors. Therefore, it is increasingly recognized that the risk of CVD is greater in patients with diabetes and other CMR factors than in those with diabetes alone. Diabetes treatment goals extend beyond glycemic control to include other risk factor modifications, such as blood pressure control, lipid management, weight management, and smoking cessation. However, a significant percentage of patients do not reach their treatment targets. To improve the quality of diabetes care, treatment algorithms have been developed to provide specific recommendations for each line of treatment and to suggest prompt reevaluation. Also, new antihyperglycemic agents, such as incretin-related therapies, have the potential to address the unmet needs associated with conventional antihyperglycemic agents, including the improvement of glycemic control with either weight maintenance or weight loss and the modification of CMR factors. Economic analyses demonstrate that CMR modification in patients with diabetes can reduce the costs of complications. Among chronic complications of diabetes, CVD treatment generates the greatest expenses, particularly in the early stages of disease progression. Health plan spending related to diabetes can be affected by a number of patient attributes, including age, glycemic control, complications, and CMR. It has also been shown that diabetes spending increases substantially in the presence of various CMR factors (e.g., obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia), independent of the presence of other chronic complications. Increasing differences among antihyperglycemic agents have made apparent the need for models in cost-effectiveness analysis. Pharmacoeconomic models have been developed and validated that simulate the treatment benefits not just of glycemic control, but of comprehensive diabetes management. These models can assist in demonstrating the importance of CMR modification in patients with diabetes. CONCLUSION: Growing evidence indicates that the evaluation of diabetes treatment strategies should incorporate considerations of their effect on global CMR. Macrovascular disease is one of the major factors in diabetes costs and resource use, both medical and pharmaceutical. Various economic analyses indicate that global CMR should be reduced to control costs in this population. Newer antihyperglycemic agents with a favorable overall metabolic profile may offer a cost-effective approach to managing diabetes.

Epidemiology of dyslipidemia and economic burden on the healthcare system.

A literature review was undertaken to describe trends in the prevalence of dyslipidemia and the associated medical costs. The search focused on recent trials showing effects of treatment on strokes and in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Online databases were searched for recent studies analyzing prevalence and/or cost of dyslipidemia, stroke, and DM. More than 43,000 papers have been written on dyslipidemia, with 700 considering costs and more than 100 focusing on the costs of dyslipidemia alongside stroke or DM. Findings in almost every case point toward high costs associated with dyslipidemia and cost-effective therapeutic options for treatment. The findings indicate that dyslipidemia is widespread and imposes substantial costs on the healthcare system. Treatment of elevated cholesterol and mixed lipid disorders using statins may relieve some of the burden, as recently noted for patients with DM and stroke.

Preventing cardiovascular disease among Canadians: what are the potential benefits of treating hypertension or dyslipidemia?

BACKGROUND: Treatments for hypertension and dyslipidemia to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease compete for the same finite number of health care dollars. Therefore, the potential benefits of treating Canadians without cardiovascular disease or diabetes who would currently be targeted by the national treatment guidelines were estimated and compared. STUDY DESIGN: Canadian Heart Health Surveys data were used to estimate the number of Canadians requiring intervention. The Cardiovascular Life Expectancy Model, a previously validated Markov model, was used to calculate the increased life expectancy and decreased morbidity associated with treating risk factors to target. RESULTS: Among 8.44 million adults 40 to 74 years of age without cardiovascular disease or diabetes, it was estimated that approximately 2.33 million would require treatment for dyslipidemia and 2.34 million for hypertension. The estimated Framingham 10-year coronary risk averaged 12.4% versus 9.6%, respectively. Treating dyslipidemia was associated with an average increased life expectancy of 1.67 years and 1.81 years of life free of cardiovascular disease. Treating hypertension was expected to increase life expectancy by 0.94 years and years of life free of cardiovascular disease by 1.29 years. The population benefits associated with treating dyslipidemia or hypertension would be 2.5 million and 1.4 million person years of life saved, respectively. Overall, the person years of treatment required to save one year of life was estimated to average 20 years for dyslipidemia therapy and 38 years for hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: The potential benefits associated with treating hypertension or dyslipidemia to prevent cardiovascular disease are substantial. However, compared with hypertension guidelines, dyslipidemia guidelines target higher-risk patients. Accordingly, given the relative efficacy of each treatment, the forecasted benefits associated with treating dyslipidemia are substantially greater than those associated with hypertension therapy.

Ethnicity and cardiovascular disease prevention in the United Kingdom: a practical approach to management.

The United Kingdom is a diverse society with 7.9% of the population from black and minority ethnic groups (BMEGs). The causes of the excess cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke morbidity and mortality in BMEGs are incompletely understood though socio-economic factors are important. However, the role of classical cardiovascular (CV) risk factors is clearly important despite the patterns of these risk factors varying significantly by ethnic group. Despite the major burden of CVD and stroke among BMEGs in the UK, the majority of the evidence on the management of such conditions has been based on predominantly white European populations. Moreover, the CV epidemiology of African Americans does not represent well the morbidity and mortality experience seen in black Africans and black Caribbeans, both in Britain and in their native African countries. In particular, atherosclerotic disease and coronary heart disease are still relatively rare in the latter groups. This is unlike the South Asian diaspora, who have prevalence rates of CVD in epidemic proportions both in the diaspora and on the subcontinent. As the BMEGs have been under-represented in research, a multitude of guidelines exists for the 'general population.' However, specific reference and recommendation on primary and secondary prevention guidelines in relation to ethnic groups is extremely limited. This document provides an overview of ethnicity and CVD in the United Kingdom, with management recommendations based on a roundtable discussion of a multidisciplinary ethnicity and CVD consensus group, all of whom have an academic interest and clinical practice in a multiethnic community.

Cholesterol levels and statin use in patients with coronary heart disease treated in primary care settings.

INTRODUCTION: Therapy with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, or statins, has proven to be effective in the treatment of lipid disorders. However, statin therapy continues to be underused, even though statins are a relatively safe and well-tolerated class of agents. In this study, we assessed trends in lipid control in patients with heart disease who receive most of their health care in primary care clinics. The objective was to determine whether systems of care implemented within a large medical group are associated with improved treatment and control of dyslipidemia in a high-risk group of coronary heart disease patients. METHODS: All adults with heart disease in a Minnesota medical group (N = 2947) were identified using diagnosis and procedure codes related to coronary heart disease (sensitivity = 0.85; positive predictive value = 0.89) in 1996. Study subjects were observed from 1995 to 1998. Subjects had a baseline and follow-up test for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Changes between baseline and follow-up measurements and trends in the use of statins and other lipid-active agents among the study subjects were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 1388 subjects with two or more eligible lipid measurements, mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol improved from 137.6 mg/dL to 111.0 mg/dL (P < .001), and mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol improved from 42.3 mg/dL to 46.3 mg/dL (P < .001). The percentage of patients with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol < or = 100 mg/dL rose from 12.5% to 39.8% (P < .001), and the percentage with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol > or = 40 mg/dL rose from 52.5% to 67.6% (P < .001). In multivariate models, statin use was identified as the main factor that contributed to the improvement in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < .001). Men had greater decreases in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol than women after adjusting for other variables (P < .001). Statin use rose from 24.3% at baseline to 69.6% at follow-up. The statin discontinuation rate was 8.3% for baseline statin users and 12.2% for subjects who used statins at any time during the study period. CONCLUSION: Investment in better heart disease care for patients in primary care clinics led to major improvement in lipid control over 30 months, primarily due to increased statin use. Improvements in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were sufficient to substantially reduce risk of subsequent major cardiovascular events.

Current challenges in diabetes management.

The burden of diabetes on the health care system mandates efforts to more optimally treat those with the disease and to prevent its development in those at risk. Early and intensive intervention in patients with diabetes reduces the risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications and disease progression. Current challenges in diabetes management include: (1) optimizing the use of currently available therapies to ensure adequate glycemic, blood pressure, and lipid control and to reduce complications; (2) educating patients on diabetes self-management; (3) improving patient adherence to lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions; (4) reducing barriers to the early use of insulin; and (5) improving the delivery of health care to people with chronic conditions.

Quando a dislipidemia é prejudicial a Saúde: Dr. Raul Dias dos Santos Filho

Apresenta uma palestra ministrada pelo Dr. Raul dos Santos Filho sobre dislipidemia. O objetivo é mostrar como a detecção pode ajudar na prevenção de doenças cardiovasculares. A dislipidemia é um distúrbio de gordura do sangue. As principais doenças envolvendo os lípides são o colesterol alto, a triglicerídios e o HDL- baixo. Pode levar o individuo a apresentar casos mais sérios como aterosclerose, infarto do miocárdio, acidente vascular cerebral, insuficiência vascular periférica, entre outras