LDL cholesterols levels after statin treatment: A comparison of measured vs. estimated values.
- Author:
Hyeon Jin KIM
1
;
Ji Hye SUK
;
Ji Hyun KANG
;
Hyuk Yong KWON
;
Chi Sung HWANG
;
Myoung Joon KIM
;
Mi Kyung KIM
;
Tae Ik KIM
;
In Joo KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Maryknoll Medical Center, Busan, Korea. kmkdoc@yahoo.co.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
LDL cholesterol;
Diabetes mellitus;
Statins
- MeSH:
Cardiovascular Diseases;
Cholesterol;
Cholesterol, LDL;
Diabetes Mellitus;
Humans;
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors;
Lipoproteins;
Triglycerides
- From:Korean Journal of Medicine
2010;79(3):277-284
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the primary target for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have shown that estimated LDL-C levels calculated using Friedewald's formula (FLDL-C) are closely correlated with directly measured LDL-C levels (DLDL-C). However, because statins not only reduce LDL-C, but also alter the levels of parameters used to calculate FLDL-C (i.e., total cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), whether calculated LDL-C levels remain a reliable estimate of actual levels after statin treatment is unclear. METHODS: Subjects included 985 patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease who had taken statins for more than 6 months. FLDL-C data were compared to DLDL-C data. RESULTS: A strong correlation was observed between DLDL-C and FLDL-C data (R2=0.879). However, the absolute values for FLDL-C and DLDL-C differed significantly according to a paired t-test, and 42.3% of patients showed a difference of greater than 10% between these two values. Among patients with diabetes, the percentage of patients deemed to have achieved target LDL-C levels differed significantly according to the method of LDL-C determination (p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: FLDL-C and DLDL-C data remained well correlated after statin treatment, although the absolute values differed significantly according to the LDL-C determination method. Furthermore, the percentage of subjects deemed to achieve target LDL-C levels differed significantly according to the method of determination among patients with diabetes.
