Preoperative cardiovascular assessment as an opportunity to (re)affirm the 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines recommended LDL-C goal
Authors: Ioannidis A , Giakoumi V , Pechlevanis A , Paraskelidou M 
Published: May 2021

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Introduction

The novel 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines on lipids recommend a more intensive reduction on LDL-C across CV risk categories in comparison with the 2016 edition.

Purpose

This cross-sectional observation study aimed to assess whether patients on lipid lowering therapy were aware of the new set LDL-C goals and if they achieved them.

Methods

Patients, taking at the time any statin, attending the preoperative CV assessment outpatient clinic at a city hospital in northern Greece were invited to participate.

Results

In total 625 eligible patients (45.1% female) were enrolled during 2020 (mean age 67 ± 9 years old). Mean duration of statin prescription was about 10 years (9.7 ± 7 years). About two thirds of the patients (402, 64.3%) had established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and the rest were allocated into CV risk categories: low (24, 10.8%), medium (135, 60.5%), high (59, 26.5%) and very high (5, 2.2%). The estimated 10-year risk of CV death was calculated using SCORE. The majority (552, 88.3%) of the patients reported lab tests at least biannually. The majority of the participants (556, 89.0%) were taking a statin as monotherapy of either low (17, 2.7%), medium (237, 37.9%) or high (302, 48.3%) potency. One tenth (65, 10.4%) were prescribed a combination of ezetimibe with a medium or high potency statin. Lastly, only four patients (0.6%) were prescribed a PCSK9 inhibitor. Less than a quarter of the participants (143, 22.9%) had achieved the recommended LDL-C levels. Approximately, one out of six patients with established ASCVD had a LDL-C lower than 55mg/dL (68, 16.9%), while only one out of three primary prevention patients (75, 33.6%) had reached the LDL-C levels recommended for their allocated risk category. As expected, the higher the potency of the statin, the higher the percentage of patients reaching the goal. Moreover, twelve out of the sixty five the patients (18.5%) on ezetimibe combination therapy achieved the LDL-C goal. Lastly, three of the four patients (75.0%) on a PCSK9 inhibitor had attained the desired LDL-C level. No information could be collected regarding why patients not reaching the goal were not offered a statin of higher potency and/or dosing, a combination with ezetimibe or a PCSK9 inhibitor, accordingly. Disturbingly enough, none of the patient was aware that the LDL-C goals recommended by scientific societies had been lowered in 2019, although 94 patients (15.0%) could recall discussing LDL-C goals with their physician. The majority of the patients (427, 93.0%) reported that they would like to know the recommended (personal) LDL-C goals.

Conclusions

Greek patients taking statins were overall unaware of the novel set LDL-C goals. Hardly acceptable attainment of the LDL-C goal was observed. The preoperative assessment visit can be used to monitor the guidelines implementation. Further research is warranted to assess the barriers that obstruct a satisfactory goal achievement.

Abstract Figure. Patients achieving LDL-C goal