Control rate of increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in cardiology outpatients with coronary heart disease in Beijing / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in outpatients with coronary heart disease (CHD) visiting cardiology outpatient clinics of 8 hospitals in Beijing.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 903 outpatients with CHD were enrolled from 4 three-tier hospitals and 4 two-tier hospitals in Beijing. All patients were asked to finish the questionnaire including demographic data, CHD history, the knowledge on cholesterol, and the use of statins. Blood lipid was examined and the LDL-C control rate and related factors were then analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Questionnaire was obtained from 876 patients [619 male: 70.7%, mean age: (64.9 ± 10.7) years old] and blood lipid data were available in 709 patients. The general LDL-C control rate was 36.9% (262/709) and was 13.5% (27/173) in very high risk CHD patients, and lower in patients treated in two-tier hospitals than patients treated in three-tier hospitals[31.3% (121/386) vs. 43.7% (141/323), P < 0.01], in female patients than in male patients [27.1% (60/261) vs. 41.3% (201/496), P < 0.01] and in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic patients [13.5% (27/200) vs. 44.7% (197/441), P < 0.01]. The LDL-C control rate was lower in patients less than 60 years old and patients over 80 years old than that in 60-70 years old patients and 70 - 80 years old patients (P < 0.05). LDL-C control rate was not affected by the history of hypertension, percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting, smoking, lipid examination frequency, knowledge on goal level of LDL-C, diet control and regularly physical exercising (all P > 0.05). There were 18.2% (129/709) patients not taking statins or not aware if they were taking statin or not. The main reason for not taking statin [47.9% (23/48)] was statin was no prescribed by doctors, followed by withdrawal by patients due to various reasons [27.1% (13/48)].</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>LDL-C control rate was low in patients with CHD visiting cardiology outpatient clinics in Beijing. The CHD patients and cardiologists should be encouraged to achieve better LDL-C control by following lipid lowering guidelines and it is also important to improve the drug compliance among CHD patients.</p>

Relationship between pulse wave velocity and blood pressure classification and cardiovascular risk factors stratification in patients with essential hypertension / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective To explore the relationship between pulse wave velocity(PWV)and blood pressure classification and cardiovascular risk factors stratification in patients with essential hypertension. Methods Totally,390 patients with essential hypertension were recruited in the study and their carotid- femoral PWVs were recorded by an automatic pulse wave velocity measurement system.The patients were stratified by their cardiovascular risk factors.PWVs were compared between patients with varied blood pressures or with and without cardiovascular risk factors.Results There was no significant difference in PWV between patients of phase 1 and phase 2 hypertension,[(10.8?1.7)m/s vs.(11.9?1.2)m/s,P =0.398].PWV in patients with more than one risk factor was significantly higher than that in those with hypertension alone,[(10.4?1.4)m/s vs.(11.7?1.4)m/s,P=0.018].Conclusions PWV in hypertensive patients with one or more than one other risk factors was significantly higher than that in those without other risk factors.Cardiovascular risk factor might play a more important role in arterial stiffness.