DOC News May 1, 2007
Volume 4 Number 5 p. 14
© 2007 American Diabetes Association
Few Patients Get Meds to Raise HDL Cholesterol
A large study shows that nearly half of patients with type 2 diabetes often
are prescribed a regimen of statins to reduce LDL cholesterol levels, but few
are prescribed medication to raise HDL cholesterol levels, which can prevent
the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston studied 7,692
patient medical records representing 12 Massachusetts outpatient primary care
practices and found that few patients were advised to quit smoking, start
exercising, reduce alcohol intake, or adopt a Mediterranean diet. Despite the
availability of fibrates, niacin, and fatty acids, which can raise HDL
cholesterol levels by 5–30%, treatment options remain
"sparse" among the patient group, researchers point out.
Nearly half the patients studied with type 2 diabetes had low HDL
cholesterol levels, and low HDL cholesterol was more common in patients with
existing CVD and poor glycemic control. In the highest-risk patients with
existing CVD, women were less likely than men to receive HDL
cholesterol-raising treatment, researchers added. Development of more
effective HDL cholesterol-raising therapies and publication of stronger
evidence for combination therapy could substantially reduce CVD morbidity and
mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes, researchers conclude.
Grant R, Meigs J: Prevalence and treatment of low HDL
cholesterol among primary care patients with type 2 diabetes: An unmet
challenge for cardiovascular risk reduction. Diabetes
Care 30:479–484, 2007.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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