INTRODUCTION: The role of dyslipidemia is essential in the development of atherosclerosis, therefore continuing care of dyslipidemic patients is an extremely important task in cardiovascular prevention. AIMS: This study was aimed to investigate continuing care of dyslipidemic patients in general practices. Method of the study was a questionnaire survey, 397 patients of 39 general practices were involved into the study. RESULTS: The cause of their continuing care was hypercholesterolemia in 91.7%, hypertriglyceridemia in 69%, decreased HDL-C in 18.4%, and these alterations frequently occurred together. Hypertension in 77%, disturbances of carbohydrate metabolism in 41.7%, increased BMI in 43.2% were found. Patients were smokers in 26.5%, given up smoking in 13.2%. They had cardiovascular problems in 56.5%, cerebrovascular problems in 18.6% and peripheral vascular ones in 20.3%. Patients were treated with lipid lowering drugs in 87.7%, statins were used in 81.7%, fibrates in 29.6% and both of them in 11.5%. The main results of continuing care were: in the whole group frequency of cholesterol level > 5.2 mmol/l decreased by 13%, frequency of triglyceride level >1.7 mmol/l decreased by 4%; cholesterol target values were reached in 3% of patients with high cardiovascular risk, in 22.2% of patients with medium risk, and in 66.7% of patients with mild risk. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that there is a need for more intensive drug treatment of dyslipidemic patients to reach the target lipid levels, and for regular assessment of continuing care of these patients.
INTRODUCTION: The role of dyslipidemia is essential in the development of atherosclerosis, therefore continuing care of dyslipidemic patients is an extremely important task in cardiovascular prevention. AIMS: This study was aimed to investigate continuing care of dyslipidemic patients in general practices. Method of the study was a questionnaire survey, 397 patients of 39 general practices were involved into the study. RESULTS: The cause of their continuing care was hypercholesterolemia in 91.7%, hypertriglyceridemia in 69%, decreased HDL-C in 18.4%, and these alterations frequently occurred together. Hypertension in 77%, disturbances of carbohydrate metabolism in 41.7%, increased BMI in 43.2% were found. Patients were smokers in 26.5%, given up smoking in 13.2%. They had cardiovascular problems in 56.5%, cerebrovascular problems in 18.6% and peripheral vascular ones in 20.3%. Patients were treated with lipid lowering drugs in 87.7%, statins were used in 81.7%, fibrates in 29.6% and both of them in 11.5%. The main results of continuing care were: in the whole group frequency of cholesterol level > 5.2 mmol/l decreased by 13%, frequency of triglyceride level >1.7 mmol/l decreased by 4%; cholesterol target values were reached in 3% of patients with high cardiovascular risk, in 22.2% of patients with medium risk, and in 66.7% of patients with mild risk. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that there is a need for more intensive drug treatment of dyslipidemic patients to reach the target lipid levels, and for regular assessment of continuing care of these patients.
Authors: Endre Szigethy; Zoltán Jancsó; Csaba Móczár; István Ilyés; Eszter Kovács; László Róbert Kolozsvári; Imre Rurik Journal: Wien Klin Wochenschr Date: 2013-07-04 Impact factor: 1.704