[LDL-cholesterol in secondary prevention: goal-attainment in patients on lipid-lowering drugs in private practice and in hospitals in Austria (ZIEL)]

A hospital-based screening project (HSP) in Austria found 47% of high-risk patients (LDL-C100 mg/dl) and 24% of very high-risk patients (LDL-C70 mg/dl) at goal. Separate data for the sexes were not reported. We analyze whether LDL-C goal attainment in patients with manifest atherosclerosis and/or diabetes on stable lipid-lowering treatment differs between private practice and hospital and between men and women.From September to November 2007, 49 Austrian centers (36 private practice, 13 hospitals) documented vascular morbidity, lipid levels, and lipid lowering treatment in patients with high risk (atherosclerosis or diabetes, n = 978) and very high risk (coronary heart disease and diabetes or acute coronary syndrome, n = 322).75% and 25% of the 1300 patients were high and very high risk, respectively. LDL-C goals of100 and70 mg/dl, respectively, were attained by 45.4% and 26.4% of patients (p0.001). A similar percentage of patients with very high risk was found in men and women (26.4% vs. 22.9%, NS) and goal attainment was not influenced by sex (high risk: 47.2% (m) vs. 43.8% (w), NS and very high risk: 29.1% (m) vs. 22.4% (w), NS). In patients with high risk, 41.6% treated in private practice vs. 57.9% treated in the hospital were at goal (p0.001). In patients with very high risk, 15.9% treated in private practice vs. 45.2% treated in the hospital were at goal (p0.001). Lower goal-attainment in private practice occurred despite significantly more intensive lipid intervention and probably reflects higher baseline LDL-C. LDL-C100 mg/dl leads to a more aggressive lipid lowering in approx. 70% of patients, irrespective of whether they are treated in private practice or in the hospital. LDL-C between 70 and 100 mg/dl, however, leads to a more aggressive lipid lowering in5% of patients, irrespective of whether they are high or very high risk.As observed in EUROASPIRE III for other European countries, there is substantial potential for improvement in lipid control in Austrian cardiovascular high-risk patients, irrespective of whether they are treated in private practice or in the hospital.