�Cardiologists in Europe agree that reduction LDLcholesterol
(LDL-C or "unfit" cholesterol) is the to the highest degree important considerateness when treating
dyslipidaemia (abnormal blood lipids). A majority of cardiologists also agree that in addition to
lowering LDL-C, raising HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C or "good" cholesterin) and reducing
triglycerides are important factors in choosing dyslipidaemia discourse. Yet, contempt these
views, physicians enounce they ar treating less than one-third of their cardiovascular disease
patients based on all three lipid parameters. These findings, from a new TNS Healthcare
survey sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), were presented at the 2008
European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Annual Congress.
"Established clinical evidence on the time value of reducing LDL-C has driven the management of
dyslipidaemia o'er the past two decades, resulting in a significant reduction in cardiovascular
disease mortality," said Anselm Kai Gitt, M.D., Vice Director of the Myocardial Infarction
Research Institute in Ludwigshafen, Germany. "Despite these outstanding strides, significant
cardiovascular danger remains for some patients who have lowered their LDL-C levels through
lifestyle modification and medication. When treating a patient, we must conceive all risk factors
including low HDL-C and triglycerides, among others, and recommend appropriate intervention."
Research shows that lowering LDL-C with statin therapy may lessening the endangerment of
cardiovascular disease by about 30 percent (versus placebo)XVI. Other factors that put up to
cardiovascular risk include low levels of HDL-C, high levels of triglycerides, elevated rake
pressure, smoking, inactivity, unreasonable alcohol, unreasonable stress, diabetes, and obesity7,8.
According to the survey results, more than two-thirds of cardiologists agree that disdain
lowering LDL levels, a residual risk for cardiovascular events remains.
Gap between perception and practice in factors for treating dyslipidaemia
According to the survey results, 97 percent of respondents said reduction LDL-C is a "fairly" or
"super" important consideration when choosing a treatment for dyslipidaemia. 84 pct
said they consider increasing HDL-C as either "middling" or "highly" important and 85 pct
agree that HDL-C has a unique protective part against cardiovascular disease. However, less
than half (47 percent) of their patients are treated with both of these lipids in mind. Moreover,
although 66 percent said reducing triglycerides is either "fairly" or "extremely" important, only 29
percent of their patients are treated based on all trey lipid parameters. This is despite 90% of
the cardiologists surveyed acknowledging residual risk remains following LDL-C reduction.
"These findings let on a strong belief in the importance of treating beyond LDL-C alone to
reduce the residual risk of infection of cardiovascular events in patients with dyslipidaemia, in time this is not
adequately translating into clinical practice session," said Dr. Gitt. "Cardiologists are in a unique position
to change this paradigm. Armed with scientific knowledge, clinical experience and new
treatment advances, we can prove a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular disease
management."
About the survey
TNS Healthcare conducted an on-line questionnaire of a sum up of 507 cardiologists in France
(n=101), Germany (n=100), Italy (n=100), Spain (n=106), and the UK (n=100) between June 18
and July 30, 2008. Cardiologists' practices ranged from hospital-based to office-based to both
hospital- and office-based in primarily urban areas.
Cardiovascular Disease and Coronary Heart Disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term referring to diseases that affect the bosom or
blood vessels. CVD is the main causal agent of death in Europe, accounting for over 4.3 million
deaths (48% of all mortality).9 It is also the UK's routine one orcinus orca with more than than one in three
people dying from a heart attack or stroke.10
Coronary heart disease (CHD), as well known as coronary artery disease (CAD), is one of the
most common forms of CVD. It is the leading campaign of end globally11 and the U.K accounting
for 101,000 deaths in the area per yr.10
Major risk factors for CVD include abnormal blood lipids, meaning non only high LDL-C merely also
high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL-C.7,8 The Pan-European Survey (2005) found
that about i third of men and 40 percentage of women have low HDL-C levels, regardless of the
use of lipid-modifying treatment (in the first place statins). Low HDL-C in combination with high
triglycerides is also common across Europe, where 21 pct of manpower and 25 percent of women
having abnormal levels of both lipids despite receiving lipid-modifying treatment.12
About Merck Sharp & Dohme
Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) is the UK subordinate of Merck & Co., Inc., of Whitehouse
Station, New Jersey, USA, a leading research-based pharmaceutical company that discovers,
develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of innovative pharmaceutical products to
improve human health. hypertext transfer protocol://www.msd-uk.co.uk.
1. Chapman J. Beyond LDL-cholesterol reduction: the way ahead in managing dyslipidaemia. Eur
Heart J. 2005;7(suppl F):F56 - F62.
2. Sever PS, Dahl�f B, Poulter NR, et al; for ASCOT investigators. Prevention of coronary and stroke
events with atorvastatin in hypertensive patients world Health Organization have average or lower-than-average
cholesterol concentrations, in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial-Lipid Lowering Arm
(ASCOT-LLA): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2003;361:1149 - 1158.
3. Colhoun HM, Betteridge DJ, Durrington PN, et al; on behalf of CARDS investigators. Primary
prevention of cardiovascular disease with atorvastatin in type 2 diabetes in the Collaborative
Atorvastatin Diabetes Study (CARDS): multicentre randomised placebocontrolled trial. Lancet.
2004;364:685-696.
4. Sacks FM, Tonkin AM, Shepherd J, et al. Effect of pravastatin on coronary disease events in
subgroups defined by coronary risk of exposure factors: the prospective Pravastatin Pooling Project. Circulation.
2000;102:1893-1900.
5. Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study Group. Randomised trial of cholesterol lowering in 4444
patients with coronary heart disease: the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S). Lancet.
1994;344:1383-1389.
6. Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group. MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of cholesterin
lowering with simvastatin in 20 536 high-risk individuals: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Lancet. 2002;360:7-22.
7. Heart UK, 'Risk factors for CHD' factsheet, http://www.heartuk.org.uk/new/downloads/factsheets/IRisk_Factors.pdf [Access on 03.07.08]
8. Department of Health, Health Survey for England 2003, Volume 2, 'Risk factors for cardiovascular
disease
9. European Heart Network. European Cardiovascular disease statistics 2008 edition
10. Allender S, Peto V, Scarborough P, et al. Coronary warmheartedness disease statistics 2007, Chapter 1.
British Heart Foundation, London
11. World Health Organization. The Top 10 causes of death factsheet. February 2007
12. Bruckert E ; Baccara-Dinet M; McCoy F et al. High prevalence of low HDL-cholesterol in a paneuropean
follow of 8545 dyslipidaemic patients. CMRO 2005; 21 (12):1927-1934
Merck Sharp & Dohme
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