Analysis of Clinical and Biochemical Characteristics of Patients With Genetically Confirmed Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Russian North Western District Residents

Aim      To compare results of clinical, laboratory, and genetic examination of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FHC).

Material and methods  112 patients aged 40.2±17.9 years (49 men) were examined. The gene of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) was analyzed and evaluated using the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) criterion of lipid score ≥6. The LDLR gene mutation was searched for using the conformational polymorphism analysis followed by sequencing of the DNA of isolated LDLR gene exons.

Results Mean variables of the blood lipid profile were total cholesterol (C), 10.12±2.32 mmol/l, LDL-C, 7.72±2.3 mmol/l. Corneal arcus was observed in 15 % of patients, tendon xanthomas in 31.8 %, and xanthelasma palpebrarum in 5.3 %. The types of LDLR gene mutations included missense mutations (42.8 %), mutations causing a premature termination of protein synthesis (41.1 %), and frameshift mutations (16.1 %). In the presence of a mutation in exon 4, patients with IHD compared to patients with no IHD had significantly higher levels of total C (10.88±2.08 mmol/l vs. 8.74±1.57 mmol/l, respectively, р=0.001) and LDL-C (8.60±2.14 mmol/l vs. 6.62±1.79 mmol/l, respectively, р=0.005). Patients with IHD compared to patients with no IHD and a mutation in LDLR gene exon 9 had only a higher LDL-C level (8.96±1.53 mmol/l vs. 6.92±1.59 mmol/l, respectively, р=0.022). A differentiated comparison of IHD patients using a logistic regression depending on the identified type of LDLR gene mutation produced formulas for calculating the odds ratio of IHD and myocardial infarction (MI) with adjustments for the patient’s age and baseline LDL.

Conclusion      The detection rate of the LDLR gene mutations was 42.8 % for missense mutations, 41.1 % for mutations causing a premature termination of protein synthesis, and 16.1 % for frameshift mutations. Blood lipid profiles did not differ between patients from different cities and with different types of LDLR gene mutations. Blood lipid profiles were different in IHD patients depending on the mutation type.

Effectiveness of lipid-lowering therapy in outpatients with coronary artery disease living in a large industrial center of Eastern Siberia

Aim. To study the prescription rate of lipid-lowering therapy and achieving the target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) values in outpatients with coronary artery disease (CAD) living in Krasnoyarsk.

Material and methods. The study included all patients with CAD hospitalized in the cardiology department of the clinic of the Research Institute of Medical Problems of the North (Krasnoyarsk) in 2018-2019. The analysis included data from 1671 patients (men, 770; women, 901). During hospitalization, an in-depth survey of patients was carried out on the subject of prescribing and taking lipid-lowering drugs. On admission, lipid profile was assessed in all patients.

Results. At the time of admission, only 51,4% of patients received lipidlowering therapy. The majority received statin monotherapy (99,2%). Only 0,8% of patients received combination therapy (statin+ezetimibe). The most frequently prescribed statin in the study was atorvastatin — 74,6%. Rosuvastatin was received by 17,1% of patients. In most cases, the doses of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin corresponded to the moderate-intensity statin therapy regimen. The frequently prescribed dose of atorvastatin was 20 mg/day — 54,4%, rosuvastatin — 10 mg/day — 68,7%. The target level of LDL-C <1,8 mmol/L was reached by 16,3%, <1,5 mmol/L — by 9,0%, <1,4 mmol/L — only 6,5% of patients. Most often, the target LDL-C levels were achieved by patients receiving high-intensity statin (HIS) therapy. The target level of LDL-C <1,8 mmol/L was reached by 37,5%, <1,5 mmol/L — 23,9%, LDL cholesterol <1,4 mmol/L — 20,7% of patients, receiving HIS.

Conclusion. In patients with CAD living in Krasnoyarsk, the most commonly prescribed statins were atorvastatin and rosuvastatin, but only 32% of patients received HIS. Combination lipid-lowering therapy has been used extremely rarely. Among the surveyed patients, the current target level of LDL-C for patients with CAD (<1,4 mmol/L) was achieved only in 6,5% of patients. In the group of patients receiving high-intensity statin therapy, this target level was achieved in 20,7% of patients, which indicates the need for strict adherence to current clinical guidelines.

A Randomized Open Clinical Study of the Atherosclerosis Treatment Information Video Effect on Adherence to Long-Term Therapy in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases

Aim. Study the effect of a study video, which was created by researchers and devoted to the atherosclerosis development and the effect of statin therapy on atherosclerotic plaque, on adherence to long-term therapy in patients with high or very high risk of cardiovascular complications.

Material and methods. 120 patients admitted to hospital with cardiovascular diseases were included in the study. Patients were randomized into 2 groups: in the main group (n=60), the information video edited by the researchers was shown to patients on the eve of discharge, in addition to a printed brochure on lifestyle and diet modification, and in the control group (n=60), patients were given only a standard brochure. The motivating video shows the damage to the cardiovascular system by the atherosclerotic process and the beneficial effect on the body of constant intake of statins. After 1 and 3 months after discharge from the hospital, telephone calls were made, after which the patients had to visit the center for an objective examination by a researcher and control of laboratory parameters. After 1 month, 110 patients visited the center, after 3 months, 98 respondents visited the center.

Results. The group with the information video demonstration noted more frequent adherence to medical recommendations compared to the control: after 1 month, 52 (96%) patients continued treatment versus 48 (86%) patients, 3 months after discharge 48 (96%) patients continued treatment versus 38 (79%) patients (p<0.05). After 1 month, 38 (70%) patients in the intervention group continued taking statins versus 29 (43%) respondents in the control group (p<0.05), 3 months after discharge, 40 (80%) patients in the intervention group continued to take statins versus 33 (69%) control patients (p<0.09).

Conclusion. Demonstration of a motivating video about the effect of statins on the atherosclerosis course increases patient adherence to medicinal therapy, including adherence to statins.

Optimal Medical Therapy for Chronic Coronary Syndrome: Realities and Prospects

Combination therapy is the standard of treatment for virtually all current non-communicable diseases, primarily chronic coronary heart disease, in modern terminology - "chronic coronary syndrome" (CSS), arterial hypertension, chronic heart failure, diabetes mellitus. The need for a combination of drugs increases even more with comorbidity, which is a typical situation in clinical practice. The recently accumulated material requires a review of the possibility of percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary bypass surgery in prolonging the life of patients with CCS, focusing on providing optimal medical therapy (OMT) for each patient with CCS, based on long-term treatment with antiplatelet agents, statins, angiotensin converting enzyme in-hibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers. OMT aimed at preventing cardiovascular events and relieving symptoms in patients with CCS requires maximum commitment - a key factor in achieving therapeutic goals. Insufficient adherence of patients to prescribed therapy and its absence are the main barriers to increasing the survival rate of patients with cardiovascular diseases in primary and secondary prevention in the Russian Federation, as evidenced by numerous registers. The desire of the doctor to individualize treatment, which inevitably complicates the use of drugs, pushes patient adherence to treatment into the background. As a result, the patient's lack of commitment to each of the pharmaceuticals destroys the applicability of the OMT concept. A great achievement of the current stage of development of clinical cardiology and the pharmaceutical industry is the ability to offer patients optimal single pill combinations (SPC) in terms of effectiveness, tolerability, drug interactions, and ease of use. The article substantiates the prospects for a successful solution of this key problem by using a new generation of SPC components belonging to different pharmacological groups. The combination of three components (lisinopril, amlodipine and rosuvastatin), each of which has pleiotropic effects, provides a multi-targeted effect with a single dose, with the possibility of individualization of therapy, which is provided by four dosage options within this SPC.