Lipid-lowering drugs among patients with coronary artery disease: proportion of patients requiring treatment according to recommendations of the Swiss Society of Cardiology 1999

Background: Recent studies have confirmed that treatment with lipid-lowerin g drugs decreases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in primary as well as secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In 1999, new Swiss rec ommendations for treatment with lipid-lowering drugs have been published. W e therefore performed a study to estimate the proportion of patients with c oronary artery disease requiring lipid-lowering drugs. Methods: We included 637 patients with coronary heart disease who were refe rred for coronary angiography during 1991-1993. We calculated the proportio n of patients requiring lipid-lowering drugs according to the new Swiss gui delines, and compared them with European and US guidelines. Results: According to the 1999 Swiss recommendations, 79% of the study popu lation would have qualified for lipid-lowering treatment (males 80%, female s 78%; patients aged up to 69 years 80%, patients aged 70 years and over 73 %). Agreement with both the Recommendations of the Second Joint Task Force of European and other Societies on Coronary Prevention, and the ACC/AHA Gui delines for Management of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction, was 96 % (Kappa 0.79 and 0.83 respectively). Conclusion: A large proportion of patients with coronary artery disease qua lifies for treatment with lipid-lowering drugs. The new Swiss recommendatio ns closely agree with European and US guidelines.