Investigation into Lipid Management in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients from the EXPLORE-J Study

Aims: The EXPLORE-J study aimed to assess lipid management in patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and their cardiovascular risk despite undergoing standard therapy. Here, we focused on background characteristics of patients in the EXPLORE-J study to elucidate the current lipid-lowering therapy and its issues in Japan. Methods: In this multicenter, prospective, observational study (UMIN000018946), consecutive Japanese ACS patients who required hospitalization were registered between April 2015 and August 2016. Background and lipid profile data collected within 14 days of hospitalization were analyzed according to risk factors such as diabetes mellitus status. Results: In total, 1944 patients were analyzed (80.3% male). The mean and standard deviation (SD) age and body mass index of all patients were 66.0 years (SD: 12.2) and 24.24 kg/m2 (SD: 3.59), respectively. The most common lipid-modifying medication used at the time of ACS was statins (27.3%). The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level (first measurement after hospitalization) of patients overall was 121.2 mg/dL (SD: 39.7); 30.3% had an LDL-C level < 100 mg/dL (current target level for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in Japan), compared with 52.1% of patients with a previous history of coronary artery disease (CAD), and 57.2% of patients with a history of CAD and diabetes. Conclusions: Many patients were not meeting Japanese LDL-C target levels at the time of ACS, and a large proportion of patients meeting target levels developed ACS; therefore, more stringent management and further evaluation of the target LDL-C levels is warranted in high-risk patients and those with previous history of CAD.