Patients with dyslipidaemia are not taking lipid lowering drugs

Since 1994 several trials have reported that lipid lowering drugs prevent cardiovascular events, and national guidelines now recommend statins for people who either have established cardiovascular disease or are at high risk of developing it. Primatesta and Poulter (p 1322) report data from a recent nationally representative survey that show high rates of dyslipidaemia among English adults but that only 1 in 50 adults were taking lipid lowering drugs. Among people with a history of coronary heart disease and eligible for treatment, 30% were taking lipid lowering drugs and one in eight had reached the recommended cholesterol target. Dyslipidaemia is undertreated in England and is an obvious target for reducing cardiovascular events.

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Relevant Article

Lipid concentrations and the use of lipid lowering drugs: evidence from a national cross sectional survey

Paola Primatesta and Neil R Poulter
BMJ 2000 321: 1322-1325. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]