ABSTRACT
Cepheus (Centralized Pan-European survey on the undertreatment of hypercholesterolemia) is an observational centralized study realized in 8 European countries including Luxemburg. The aim was to evaluate the percentage of patients reaching the TJETF and 2004 NCEP ATP III recommendations for LDL-cholesterol. A secondary aim was to identify by questionnaires the determinants of patients and physicians explaining this undertreatment. Data from 706 patients in Luxemburg have shown that only 40.6% of patients and only 17.5% of high risk patients (CVD and diabetes) reach the newest european target values of LDL-cholesterol (post-hoc analysis). 90% of patients had statins prescribed and 9.7% fibrates. 60% of patients had still the same medication at the same dosage at the moment of the study, after at least 3 months treatment with a mean of 6.2 years. 40% of patients said that they forget sometimes their treatment and 13% were convinced that forgetting their tablets more than once a week did not affect their cholesterol level. These disappointing results could be due partly to insufficient dosages, too less adaptation of the treatment and a bad compliance of patients.
