European cardiologists welcome lower cholesterol targets

According to the results of a survey presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Austria, 94% of European cardiologists questioned supported the new targets for total cholesterol of <4.5mmol/l and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of <2.5mmol/l, for high risk patients. The survey, which was sponsored by Merck, Sharp & Dohme and Schering-Plough, also revealed that 78% of respondents felt that national cholesterol guidelines were not being followed.

The new guidelines, which are the fourth set published by the European Joint Task Force, maintained the previously-issued total cholesterol target of <4.5mmol/l and low-density lipoprotein goal of <2.5mmol/l, but added that, if feasible, treatment should aim to achieve TC <4mmol/ and LDL-C of <2mmol/l. In the UK, where cholesterol targets are set at <5mmol/l and <3mmol/l, respectively, 85% of UK cardiologists supported the new optional lower cholesterol guidelines.

The study also showed that a high proportion of respondents, nearly 81%, said that many high-risk patients with hyperlipidemia and or hypercholeterolemia may be insufficiently treated with current statin-based therapies, and that 79% believed that physicians were reluctant to prescribe high-dose statins due to concerns over safety and tolerability.