LDL cholesterols levels after statin treatment: A comparison of measured vs. estimated values
Year: 2010
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background/Aims: Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the primary target for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have shown that estimated LDL-C levels calculated using Friedewald's formula (FLDL-C) are closely correlated with directly measured LDL-C levels (DLDL-C). However, because statins not only reduce LDL-C, but also alter the levels of parameters used to calculate FLDL-C (i.e., total cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), whether calculated LDL-C levels remain a reliable estimate of actual levels after statin treatment is unclear. Methods: Subjects included 985 patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease who had taken statins for more than 6 months. FLDL-C data were compared to DLDL-C data. Results: A strong correlation was observed between DLDL-C and FLDL-C data (=0.879). However, the absolute values for FLDL-C and DLDL-C differed significantly according to a paired t-test, and 42.3% of patients showed a difference of greater than 10% between these two values. Among patients with diabetes, the percentage of patients deemed to have achieved target LDL-C levels differed significantly according to the method of LDL-C determination (p=0.007). Conclusions: FLDL-C and DLDL-C data remained well correlated after statin treatment, although the absolute values differed significantly according to the LDL-C determination method. Furthermore, the percentage of subjects deemed to achieve target LDL-C levels differed significantly according to the method of determination among patients with diabetes.
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $500
OpenAlex ID: W105914833