Lipid control in patients with coronary heart disease treated in primary care or cardiology clinics

Background Guidelines recommend low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) target of Objectives We compared LDL-C control in patients with coronary disease treated by a primary care physician or with the addition of a cardiologist. Methods Included were patients with coronary disease who had full lipid profile. Primary end points included the percentage of patients who achieved the LDL-C goals of Results Of the 27,172 patients, 12,965 (47.7%) were followed only by a primary care physician and 14,207 (52.3%) were also followed by a cardiologist. Overall, 18,366 patients (67.6%) achieved the LDL-C goal of P P Conclusions Among patients with coronary disease, those followed by a cardiologist receive a more aggressive antilipid treatment and more frequently achieve lipids goals. Nevertheless, the disappointingly poor lipid control in both groups warrants an effort to improve adherence for guidelines in both primary care and cardiology clinics.