Statin utilization and lipid goal attainment in high or very-high cardiovascular risk patients: insights from Italian general practice

Background and aims: Statin utilization and lipid goal achievement were estimated in a large sample of Italian patients at high/very-high cardiovascular (CV) risk. Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with a valid low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) measurement in 2015 were selected from the IMS Health Real World Data database; non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) was assessed in those with available total cholesterol measurements. Index dates were defined as the last valid lipid measurement in 2015. Patients were hierarchically classified into mutually exclusive risk categories: heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (primary and secondary prevention), atheroscler…