Increasing provider awareness of Lp(a) testing for patients at risk for cardiovascular disease: A comparative study.

Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a low-density lipoprotein variant with atherogenic, thrombogenic, and pro-inflammatory properties that may have numerous pathologic effects, including dyslipidemia. Screening for Lp(a) is clinically significant, due to its causal role in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Among clinicians, however, there remains a general lack of both clinical awareness of Lp(a) and adequate tools to track Lp(a) testing in patients.

Improving Familial Hypercholesterolemia Diagnosis Using an EMR-based Hybrid Diagnostic Model.

Context: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) confers a greatly increased risk for premature cardiovascular disease, but remains very underdiagnosed and undertreated in primary care populations.

Objective: We assessed whether using a hybrid model consisting of 2 existing FH diagnostic criteria coupled with electronic medical record (EMR) data would accurately identify patients with FH in a Midwest US metropolitan healthcare system.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, records-based, cross-sectional study using datasets from unique EMRs of living patients.

Lower-Intensity Statins Contributing to Gaps in Care for Patients With Primary Severe Hypercholesterolemia.

Background Although severe hypercholesterolemia confers a 5-fold increased long-term risk for coronary artery disease, treatment guidelines may not be fully implemented, leading to underdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment. To further understand the clinical features and gaps in treatment approaches, we analyzed electronic medical record data from a midwestern US multidisciplinary healthcare system, between 2009 and 2020. Methods and Results We retrospectively assessed the prevalence, clinical presentation, and treatment characteristics of individuals currently treated with statin therapy having a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) value that is either (1) an maximum electronic medical record-documented LDL-C ≥190 mg/dL (group 1, n=7542) or (2) an pretreatment LDL-C ≥190 mg/dL (group 2, n=7710).

Prevalence and Characteristics of Patients With Primary Severe Hypercholesterolemia in a Multidisciplinary Healthcare System.

Severe hypercholesterolemia (SH) includes individuals with LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dl, regardless of cause. These individuals have a fivefold increased long-term risk for coronary artery disease. Although systematic SH screening can trigger early treatment, current treatment guidelines may not be fully implemented or followed by patients.