Opportunity for Intervention to Achieve American Heart Association Guidelines for Optimal Lipid Levels in High-Risk Women in a Managed Care Setting

Background— The American Heart Association (AHA) recently established evidence-based recommendations for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in women, including lipid management. This study evaluated optimal lipid-level attainment and treatment patterns on the basis of these guidelines in high-risk women in a managed care setting. Methods and Results— We conducted a historical prospective cohort analysis of a 1.1-million-member, integrated, managed-care database. Eligible high-risk women were those with evidence of previous CVD or risk equivalent who had a full lipid panel available between October 1, 1999, and September 30, 2000; were naive to lipid therapy; and had a minimum of 12 months health plan eligibility preindex and postindex lipid panel. Optimal lipid levels were defined as LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) 50 mg/dL, non–HDL-C <130 mg/dL, and triglycerides <150 mg/dL. Laboratory values and lipid pharmacotherapy were assessed longitudinally over the postindex follo...