Missed Opportunities in Implementation and Optimization of Lipid-Lowering Therapies in Very-High-Risk Patients Presenting with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

The aim of this retrospective study was to provide real-world data on lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) implementation and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target achievement in an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) population, with a focus on very-high-risk patients according to European guidelines criteria. Methods: Included were all STEMI patients with available LDL-C and total cholesterol treated at a large tertiary center in Salzburg, Austria, 2018–2020 (n = 910), with stratification into very-high-risk cohorts. Analysis was descriptive, with variables reported as number, percentages, median, and interquartile range. Results: Among patients with prior LLT use, statin monotherapy predominated, 5.3% were using high-intensity statins, 1.2% were using combined ezetimibe therapy, and none were taking PCSK9 inhibitors at the time of STEMI. In very-high-risk secondary prevention cohorts, LLT optimization was alarmingly low: 8–22% of patients were taking high-intensity statins, just 0–6% combined with ezetimibe. Depending on the very-high-risk cohort, 27–45% of secondary prevention patients and 58–73% of primary prevention patients were not taking any LLTs, although 19–60% were actively taking/prescribed medications for hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus. Corresponding LDL-C target achievement in all very-high-risk cohorts was poor: <22% of patients had LDL-C values < 55 mg/dL at the time of STEMI. Conclusion: Severe shortcomings in LLT implementation and optimization, and LDL-C target achievement, were observed in the total STEMI population and across all very-high-risk cohorts, attributable in part to deficits in care delivery.