Millions Dying from Cardiovascular Disease Every Year - and Patients Themselves not Aware of The Basic Facts

Main Category: Cholesterol
Article Date: 16 Oct 2005 - 11:00 PST

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Patients with high cholesterol are unaware of the risks and are living in ignorance - according to a new global survey -

People with high cholesterol are at risk from cardiovascular disease (CVD) yet are not aware of the serious nature of CVD, do not understand the consequences of high cholesterol, and do not even realise their condition could lead to a heart attack or stroke.1 These are some of the disturbing findings of a new large-scale international survey in people diagnosed with high cholesterol levels.

Raised cholesterol is the most common risk factor for CVD with approximately 17 million deaths being attributed to CVD each year worldwide - one person dies every two seconds from CVD.2 Target cholesterol levels have been agreed by medical experts3-5 but the survey reveals that patients with known cholesterol problems have poor knowledge of the 'healthy' cholesterol levels they should be achieving:1

_ One in two patients claim that they have not been told, or have forgotten, their cholesterol level

_ Two out of three do not know what healthy cholesterol level they should be aiming to achieve

_ Only one in three believe that they have actually reached a healthy cholesterol level.

Professor Richard Hobbs, Professor of Primary Care and General Practice, University of Birmingham, UK, who co-authored the survey, commented,

"These findings show that despite the high rates and major risks of CVD, the level of awareness and understanding is still very low - even amongst people diagnosed with having high cholesterol. For the first time, this survey provides a comprehensive picture of how poor the knowledge of patients with CVD really is. Patients are still potentially under-managing their risk of suffering a future heart attack or stroke, despite numerous public health campaigns in recent years to increase awareness on issues such as good dietary and lifestyle advice, and effective treatment options that would reduce the likelihood of such a fatal or debilitating event happening."

Previous studies have shown that approximately a half of all patients with high cholesterol receive cholesterol-lowering medication and, of those that do, only half achieve 'healthy' cholesterol levels.6,7 Yet, the World Health Organisation states that half of the deaths and disability from heart disease and strokes could be prevented.8

Indeed, treating high cholesterol effectively is one of the easiest ways of reducing the risk of CVD. Overwhelming evidence shows that the lower your cholesterol falls, the lower your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.5,9-12 Some cholesterol-lowering treatments such as the latest statin therapies can cut bad cholesterol in half, raise good cholesterol and achieve healthy cholesterol levels at low doses in more than eight out of ten people.13,14

Professor Leif Erhardt, Department of Cardiology, University of Malmö, Sweden, co-author for the survey, said, "There is absolutely no need to settle for the half-way mark. We know that patient cholesterol targets can be achieved with some of the latest satins at low doses, significantly reducing their risk of CVD. Patients, their families, and the general public must take an active role when it comes to heart health to ensure they adopt a healthier lifestyle and receive the best treatment where appropriate in order to achieve 'healthy' cholesterol levels. He adds, "It is essential that people at risk of CVD know what their cholesterol level is, what it should be, and how best to reduce or maintain it and that doctors must make a conscious effort to explain to their patients exactly what the implications of having high cholesterol levels are."

The survey was conducted by Adelphi International Research and sponsored by AstraZeneca in ten countries: Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Mexico, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea and the UK. The survey consisted of two study groups, one group in patients diagnosed with high cholesterol and one in family doctors.**Family doctors were surveyed in every country except South Korea, where cardiologists and endocrinologists were surveyed. A total of 1,547 patients were surveyed and 750 doctors.

*Family doctors were surveyed in every country except South Korea, where cardiologists and endocrinologists were surveyed.

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