Impact of Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation Trial on Statin Eligibility for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Insights from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Guidelines versus trial-evidence for statin use in primary prevention: The Copenhagen General Population Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Guideline-recommended use of risk calculators to select for statin therapy in primary prevention has never been tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). We determined the extent to which guideline-based statin recommendations from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), Canadian Cardiovascular Society(CCS), UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society (ESC/EAS) is supported by available evidence from RCTs.

METHODS

79,171 individuals from the Copenhagen General Population Study who were free of ASCVD and statin use at baseline were included. RCT evidence supporting guideline-recommended statin allocation and the estimated number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one ASCVD event were assessed.

RESULTS

During 8.2 years of follow-up, 4031 ASCVD events occurred. Of individuals eligible for statin therapy with the ACC/AHA, CCS, NICE and ESC/EAS guidelines, 86%, 88%, 88% and 84% had direct RCT evidence of statin efficacy, respectively (guideline-positive&RCT-positive). This group represented 26-37% of all 79,171 individuals, while guideline-positive&RCT-negative individuals represented 5-7%, guideline-negative&RCT-positive individuals 28-39%, and guideline-negative&RCT-negative individuals represented 30-31%. The ASCVD events per 1000 person-years were 11.4-12.7 (guideline-positive&RCT-positive), 6.3-8.0 (guideline-positive&RCT-negative), 4.2-5.2 (guideline-negative&RCT-positive), and 2.3-2.5 (guideline-negative&RCT-negative), respectively, while the corresponding NNT to prevent one event in 10 years using high-intensity statin were 19-21, 30-32, 48-60, and 105-125, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The far majority of individuals eligible for guideline-recommended primary prevention with statins have direct RCT evidence supporting statin use. Allocating statins based on guideline-criteria is more efficient with lower NNT for preventing ASCVD events than allocating statin therapy based solely on RCT evidence.

Statin eligibility based on the ACC/AHA guidelines among Middle Eastern patients with diabetes mellitus presenting with acute myocardial infarction

Background

Statin eligibility based on the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cholesterol guidelines among patients with diabetes admitted with first time acute myocardial infarction has not been evaluated in the Middle East.

Purpose

To assess statin eligibility for diabetic patients admitted with first time myocardial infarction in Jordan according to ACC/AHA guidelines.

Methods

Consecutive patients admitted with a first acute myocardial infarction who were not taking statins, and had their serum lipoproteins measured upon hospital admission were enrolled in the study. Statin eligibility among patients with diabetes admitted with first time myocardial infarction was determined based on the ACC/AHA guidelines.

Results

Of 774 patients enrolled, 292 (37.30%) had diabetes. Compared with non-diabetic patients, those with diabetes were females, older, more hypertension, more hypercholesterolemia, more triglycerides, more diastolic blood pressure, less smokers and less low density lipoprotein. Among patients with diabetes, 242 diabetic patients (82.9%) were statin eligible, including 20 (6.90%) for having high serum levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) >190 mg/dL, and 222 (76%) for being aged 40–75 years with LDL-C 70–189 mg/dL. No patient had a calculated atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk score ≥7.5%. On the other hand, 393 non-diabetic patients (81.3%) were statin eligible, including 41 (8.50%) for having high serum levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) >190 mg/dL, and 351 (72.80%) for being aged 40–75 years with LDL-C 70–189 mg/dL.

Conclusions

Based on the ACC/AHA guidelines, the majority of patients with diabetes admitted with first acute myocardial infarction would have been eligible for statin treatment if they have LDL-c >190 mg/dl or aged 40–75 years old and they have their LDL 70–189 mg/gl. More efforts should be taken for patients who are female, older than 50 years, hypertensive, elevated diastolic blood pressure have hypercholesterolemia, and elevated triglycerides because of their significant association with diabetes.

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83% of patients with diabetes mellitus presenting with MI, were statin eligible.

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393 non-diabetic patients (81.3%) were statin eligible in the current sample.

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No diabetic or non-diabetic patients has a 10 year ASCVR score between 5 and 7.4

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Statin was eligible in the same proportion among diabetic and diabetic patients.