Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026

A Murine Model of Hyperlipidemia-Induced Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Published on: March 29, 2024
Undertreatment of hyperlipidemia in patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure
Carla A Sueta1, Mark W Massing, Mridul Chowdhury
1Medical Review of North Carolina, Cary, North Carolina 27511, USA.
Insights
Patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure (CAD+HF) receive less lipid testing and fewer lipid-lowering treatments than those with CAD alone, despite high cardiovascular risk. Increased testing and treatment are needed for this high-risk group.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure (CAD+HF) face elevated risks of cardiovascular events.
- This study compares lipid assessment and treatment rates in CAD+HF patients versus those with CAD alone.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the frequency of lipid assessment and the prescription of lipid-lowering agents in outpatients with combined CAD+HF.
- To identify disparities in lipid management between CAD+HF patients and CAD-only patients.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a national retrospective chart audit of 41,487 coronary artery disease patients.
- Categorization of patients into CAD+HF (34%) and CAD alone groups.
- Comparison of lipid assessment documentation and lipid-lowering drug prescription rates.
Main Results:
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol documentation was lower in CAD+HF patients (53%) compared to CAD-only patients (69%).
- Lipid-lowering drugs were prescribed less frequently in CAD+HF patients (36%) versus CAD-only patients (52%).
- Documented LDL levels significantly increased the likelihood of receiving lipid-lowering medication.
Conclusions:
- Patients with CAD, heart failure (HF), and advanced age represent a high-risk group with suboptimal lipid-lowering treatment rates.
- There is a critical need for enhanced LDL cholesterol testing and more aggressive lipid-lowering treatment strategies in patients with concurrent CAD and HF.
Background:
Coronary artery disease patients with heart failure (CAD+HF) are at high risk for cardiovascular events. We examined the frequency of lipid assessment and prescription of lipid-lowering agents in outpatients with combined CAD+HF compared with patients with CAD alone.
Methods:
We analyzed an administrative data set from the Quality Assurance Program II, a Merck & Co., Inc., sponsored national retrospective chart audit of 41,487 CAD patients seen at 296 ambulatory medical practices. About 34% of these patients had CAD+HF.
Results:
Documentation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was significantly lower in patients with CAD+HF (53%) compared with those with CAD alone (69%). Lipid-lowering drugs were prescribed in only 36% of patients with CAD+HF, compared with 52% of patients with CAD alone. Lipid levels alone did not justify this disparity. Patients with documented LDL cholesterol values were 4 times more likely to receive a prescription for a lipid-lowering medication than those without recorded values. Other predictors of lipid-lowering prescription included: younger age, history of myocardial infarction, revascularization, care by a cardiologist, and geographic region.
Conclusions:
Patients with CAD, HF, and advanced age simultaneously experience among the highest risk and the lowest lipid-lowering treatment rates. Strategies to increase LDL testing and aggressively treat patients with heart failure and CAD are warranted.
Related Concept Videos
Heart Failure V: Medical Management
Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents
Atherosclerosis III: Management
Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies
Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures
Coronary Artery Disease V: Interprofessional Care