Is the physician's behavior in dyslipidemia diagnosis in accordance with guidelines? Cross-sectional ESCARVAL study.

Background: Clinical inertia has been defined as mistakes by the physician in starting or intensifying treatment when indicated. Inertia, therefore, can affect other stages in the healthcare process, like diagnosis. The diagnosis of dyslipidemia requires ≥2 high lipid values, but inappropriate behavior in the diagnosis of dyslipidemia has only previously been analyzed using just total cholesterol (TC).

Objectives: To determine clinical inertia in the dyslipidemia diagnosis using both TC and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and its associated factors.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: All health center visits in the second half of 2010 in the Valencian Community (Spain).

Patients: 11,386 nondyslipidemic individuals aged ≥20 years with ≥2 lipid determinations.

Measurement Variables: Gender, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, age, and ESCARVAL training course. Lipid groups: normal (TC<5.17 mmol/L and normal HDL-c [≥1.03 mmol/L in men and ≥1.29 mmol/L in women], TC inertia (TC≥5.17 mmol/L and normal HDL-c), HDL-c inertia (TC<5.17 mmol/L and low HDL-c), and combined inertia (TC≥5.17 mmol/L and low HDL-c).

Results: TC inertia: 38.0% (95% CI: 37.2-38.9%); HDL-c inertia: 17.7% (95% CI: 17.0-18.4%); and combined inertia: 9.6% (95% CI: 9.1-10.2%). The profile associated with TC inertia was: female, no cardiovascular risk factors, no cardiovascular disease, middle or advanced age; for HDL-c inertia: female, cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease; and for combined inertia: female, hypertension and middle age.

Limitations: Cross-sectional study, under-reporting, no analysis of some cardiovascular risk factors or other lipid parameters.

Conclusions: A more proactive attitude should be adopted, focusing on the full diagnosis of dyslipidemia in clinical practice. Special emphasis should be placed on patients with low HDL-c levels and an increased cardiovascular risk.