scholarly journals Assessing Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk with Advanced Lipid Testing: State of the Science

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Amir German ◽  
Michael David Shapiro

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death and disability worldwide. While substantial gains have been made in reducing cardiovascular mortality, future projections suggest that we have reached a nadir and may be at an inflection point, given the rising tide of obesity and diabetes. Evaluation and management of plasma lipids is central to the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Although the standard lipid panel represents a well-established platform to assess risk, this test alone can be insufficient and/or misleading. Advances in our understanding of atherosclerosis have led to the development of lipid-based biomarkers that help to discriminate the risk of cardiovascular disease when it is unclear. While these biomarkers provide novel information, their implementation into clinical medicine remains difficult given discrepancies in the literature, lack of assay standardisation, poor accessibility and high cost. However, additional measures of atherogenic lipoproteins or their surrogates may offer insight beyond the standard lipid panel, providing a more precise assessment of risk and more accurate assessment of lipid-lowering therapy.

Author(s):  
Julius L. Katzmann ◽  
Francesc Sorio-Vilela ◽  
Eugen Dornstauder ◽  
Uwe Fraas ◽  
Timo Smieszek ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Many patients at very-high atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk do not reach guideline-recommended targets for LDL-C. There is a lack of data on real-world use of non-statin lipid-lowering therapies (LLT) and little is known on the effectiveness of fixed-dose combinations (FDC). We therefore studied prescription trends in oral non-statin LLT and their effects on LDL-C. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted of electronic medical records of outpatients at very-high cardiovascular risk treated by general practitioners (GPs) and cardiologists, and prescribed LLT in Germany between 2013 and 2018. Results Data from 311,242 patients were analysed. Prescriptions for high-potency statins (atorvastatin and rosuvastatin) increased from 10.4% and 25.8% of patients treated by GPs and cardiologists, respectively, in 2013, to 34.7% and 58.3% in 2018. Prescription for non-statin LLT remained stable throughout the period and low especially for GPs. Ezetimibe was the most prescribed non-statin LLT in 2018 (GPs, 76.1%; cardiologists, 92.8%). Addition of ezetimibe in patients already prescribed a statin reduced LDL-C by an additional 23.8% (32.3 ± 38.4 mg/dL), with a greater reduction with FDC [reduction 28.4% (40.0 ± 39.1 mg/dL)] as compared to separate pills [19.4% (27.5 ± 33.8 mg/dL)]; p < 0.0001. However, only a small proportion of patients reached the recommended LDL-C level of < 70 mg/dL (31.5% with FDC and 21.0% with separate pills). Conclusions Prescription for high-potency statins increased over time. Non-statin LLT were infrequently prescribed by GPs. The reduction in LDL-C when statin and ezetimibe were prescribed in combination was considerably larger for FDC; however, a large proportion of patients still remained with uncontrolled LDL-C levels. Graphic abstract


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S503-S504
Author(s):  
Sarah M Michienzi ◽  
Thomas D Chiampas ◽  
Amy Valkovec ◽  
Siria Arzuaga ◽  
Mahesh C Patel ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The 2018 American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) 2018 Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol included human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk enhancer for the first time. Our study investigates if patients living with HIV in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) were prescribed appropriate HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) therapy following release of these guidelines based on risk. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients with &gt; 1 visit in our multidisciplinary HIV IDOC Telemedicine Clinic from 1/1/19-6/1/19. Our prescriptive authority is limited to HIV and directly related conditions, and we provide recommendations to on-site providers for other comorbidities. Included patients were &gt; 18 years of age, HIV positive, and incarcerated within IDOC. Excluded patients had existing ASCVD. Data from the first visit in the study period were extracted from the electronic medical record and analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics. Primary objectives were to quantify ASCVD risk and appropriate statin use in our population. Results Of the 158 patients included, average age was 42 years. The majority were male (89%), Black (73%), overweight/obese (117/148, 79%), on an integrase single-tablet regimen (78%), with CD4 &gt;200 cells/µL (97%), and HIV RNA &lt; 20 copies/mL (85%). Of the 18 females, 8 were transgender. Within the prior year, 65% had a lipid panel. For the 50 patients meeting criteria for 10-year ASCVD estimation, median (range) risk was 6.6% (0.8% - 31.9%). Only 12 patients were on statins. Of these, all were indicated per AHA/ACC guidelines with 10 prescribed appropriate intensity. An additional 45 patients had indications for statins but were untreated. In total, 47 patients (30%) were not receiving appropriate statin therapy. Conclusion Results of our study suggest ASCVD risk management is an area of improvement for inmates living with HIV, especially as we look towards caring for an aging HIV population. Future directions include comparing these data to data from a later time point to evaluate time for guideline uptake. Disclosures Thomas D. Chiampas, PharmD, BCPS, AAHIVP, Gilead (Employee)


2018 ◽  
Vol 209 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca Calabria ◽  
Rosemary J Korda ◽  
Raymond W Lovett ◽  
Peter Fernando ◽  
Tanya Martin ◽  
...  

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (9) ◽  
pp. 827-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Pencina ◽  
Karol M. Pencina ◽  
Donald Lloyd-Jones ◽  
Alberico L. Catapano ◽  
George Thanassoulis ◽  
...  

Background: Lipid-lowering recommendations for prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease rely principally on estimated 10-year risk. We sought to determine the optimal time for initiation of lipid lowering in younger adults as a function of expected 30-year benefit. Methods: Data from 3148 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009–2016) participants, age 30 to 59 years, not eligible for lipid-lowering treatment recommendation under the most recent US guidelines, were analyzed. We estimated the absolute and relative impact of lipid lowering as a function of age, age at initiation, and non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level on the expected rates of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease over the succeeding 30 years. We modeled expected risk reductions based on shorter-term effects observed in statin trials (model A) and longer-term benefits based on Mendelian randomization studies (model B). Results: In both models, potential reductions in predicted 30-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk were greater with older age and higher non–HDL-C level. Immediate initiation of lipid lowering (ie, treatment for 30 years) in 40- to 49-year-old patients with non–HDL-C ≥160 mg/dL would be expected to reduce their average predicted 30-year risk of 17.1% to 11.6% (model A; absolute risk reduction [ARR], 5.5%) or 6.5% (model B; ARR 10.6%). Delaying lipid lowering by 10 years (treatment for 20 years) would result in residual 30-year risk of 12.7% (A; ARR 4.4) or 9.9% (B; ARR 7.2%) and delaying by 20 years (treatment for 10 years) would lead to expected mean residual risk of 14.6% (A; ARR 2.6%) or 13.9% (B; ARR 3.2%). The slope of the achieved ARR as a function of delay in treatment was also higher with older age and higher non–HDL-C level. Conclusions: Substantial reduction in expected atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in the next 30 years is achievable by intensive lipid lowering in individuals in their 40s and 50s with non–HDL-C ≥160 mg/dL. For many, the question of when to start lipid lowering might be more relevant than whether to start lipid lowering.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Macpherson ◽  
Nestor Vasquez ◽  
Amit Khera ◽  
Anand Rohatgi ◽  
Seth S Martin ◽  
...  

Introduction: The Friedewald equation (F-LDL-C) and the Martin-Hopkins algorithm (MH-LDL-C) estimate direct LDL-C from a standard lipid panel. Discordant LDL-C estimates by the two methods may carry significant clinical implications. We evaluated the clinical variables associated with discordant LDL-C estimates and the association of discordance with risk of incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in the Dallas Heart Study (DHS), a multi-ethnic, population based prospective cohort. Methods: We estimated F-LDL-C and MH-LDL-C in 2824 DHS participants (42% male; mean age 43.5 years) with TG ≤ 400 mg/dL, who were not on baseline lipid lowering therapy and were free of prior ASCVD. We divided the cohort into quintiles of LDL-C discordance (MH-LDL-C minus F-LDL-C, in mg/dL) and assessed associations with ASCVD risk factors. We evaluated associations between discordance and incident ASCVD by sequentially adjusted Cox regression models, and we generated restricted cubic spline plots of discordance and hazard for ASCVD. Results: There were 228 ASCVD events over a median of 12.3 years. Clinical characteristics across discordance quintiles are shown in the Table . After adjustment for traditional ASCVD risk factors, there was a linear association between higher LDL-C discordance and increased risk of ASCVD events ( Figure ) with the highest hazard in Quintile 5 (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1 - 2.0). Conclusions: Discordant LDL-C estimates were largely associated with male sex, White and Hispanic races, and characteristics of the metabolic syndrome. Individuals in the highest quintile of discordant LDL-C estimates, with MH-LDL-C > F-LDL-C, had greater risk for incident ASCVD.


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