LDL-C levels in US patients at high cardiovascular risk receiving rosuvastatin monotherapy.

Background: Statin therapy is recommended as the first-line pharmacotherapeutic approach for lowering LDL-C levels in patients at high cardiovascular risk.

Objective: To assess LDL-C levels among patients at high cardiovascular risk treated with rosuvastatin monotherapy.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used patient records from the GE Centricity Electronic Medical Records (GE Centricity EMR) database and administrative claims data from Humana Medicare to identify patients at high cardiovascular risk with a first prescription for rosuvastatin monotherapy (index date) from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2010. Eligible adult patients had an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis or a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) procedure code indicating coronary heart disease or atherosclerotic vascular disease, ≥1 LDL-C measurement 3 to 12 months after the index date, and continuous data during 1-year baseline and 1-year follow-up. Mean LDL-C levels and distribution of patients around <70 mg/dL and <100 mg/dL thresholds overall and by daily rosuvastatin dose were assessed.

Results: Among 6004 GE Centricity EMR patients (mean [SD] age, 66 [10] years; 56% men) and 11,320 Humana Medicare patients (mean [SD] age, 74 [8] years; 44% men) who met selection criteria, the most frequently prescribed rosuvastatin dose was 10 mg, and the mean (SD) follow-up LDL-C level was 89 (37) mg/dL for GE Centricity EMR patients and 92 (36) mg/dL for Humana Medicare patients. Overall, lower mean LDL-C levels were observed as rosuvastatin dose increased. However, less than one-third of GE Centricity EMR and Humana Medicare patients had an LDL-C level <70 mg/dL, and approximately two-thirds had an LDL-C level <100 mg/dL.

Conclusion: More effective lipid-lowering strategies, such as statin up-titration or combination therapy, may be needed to achieve therapeutic goals in a substantial proportion of high-risk patients.