“Under-treatment of cholesterol disorders is a major public health challenge,” said lead author Dr David Goff Jr. “In our study of middle-age and older adults with no symptoms of cardiovascular disease, about a third had cholesterol disorders that would require drug treatment under current guidelines. Yet, only 54% of those who needed treatment were getting it.”
In addition, the researchers found that cholesterol control was lowest in study participants who were at the highest risk of developing heart vessel disease. Cholesterol disorders – such as having “good” cholesterol that is too low or “bad” cholesterol that is too high – are a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the US.
“Cardiovascular disease is a significant health problem in this country and lipid-lowering therapy has been proven to help prevent it,” said Dr Goff. “Our research illustrates the importance of improving the treatment and control of cholesterol disorders and eliminating treatment disparities.”
The data came from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a population-based study of 6,814 men and women who had no known cardiovascular disease.