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Cardiovascular Risk Stratification and Statin Eligibility Based on the Brazilian vs. North American Guidelines on
Fernando Henpin Yue Cesena1, Antonio Gabriele Laurinavicius1, Viviane A Valente1
1Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP - Brazil.
Insights
The V Brazilian Guideline recommends statins for more people in primary prevention than the pooled cohort equations (PCE). This difference arises from how the Brazilian guideline reclassifies risk using aggravating factors.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Controversy exists regarding optimal patient selection for lipid-lowering therapy.
- Primary prevention strategies for cardiovascular disease require effective risk assessment tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cardiovascular risk assessment between the V Brazilian Guideline and pooled cohort equations (PCE).
- To evaluate the proportion of individuals eligible for statin therapy under different guidelines for primary prevention.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 13,947 individuals (40-75 years) undergoing routine health assessment.
- Defined four statin eligibility criteria: BR-1, BR-2 (Brazilian Guideline-based LDL-c goals) and USA-1, USA-2 (PCE 10-year risk ≥5.0% or ≥7.5%).
Main Results:
- The V Brazilian Guideline identified a higher proportion of individuals eligible for statins compared to PCE criteria.
- For women, eligibility was 24% (BR-1) vs. 4% (USA-1); for men, 75% (BR-1) vs. 31% (USA-1).
- A significant number of individuals eligible under the Brazilian Guideline would not meet PCE criteria, particularly due to aggravating factors.
Conclusions:
- The V Brazilian Guideline designates a substantially larger population for statin therapy in primary prevention than North American guidelines (PCE).
- Discrepancies stem from risk stratification differences, especially the inclusion of aggravating factors in the Brazilian guideline.
Background::
The best way to select individuals for lipid-lowering treatment in the population is controversial.
Objective::
In healthy individuals in primary prevention: to assess the relationship between cardiovascular risk categorized according to the V Brazilian Guideline on Dyslipidemia and the risk calculated by the pooled cohort equations (PCE); to compare the proportion of individuals eligible for statins, according to different criteria.
Methods::
In individuals aged 40-75 years consecutively submitted to routine health assessment at one single center, four criteria of eligibility for statin were defined: BR-1, BR-2 (LDL-c above or at least 30 mg/dL above the goal recommended by the Brazilian Guideline, respectively), USA-1 and USA-2 (10-year risk estimated by the PCE ≥ 5.0% or ≥ 7.5%, respectively).
Results::
The final sample consisted of 13,947 individuals (48 ± 6 years, 71% men). Most individuals at intermediate or high risk based on the V Brazilian Guideline had a low risk calculated by the PCE, and more than 70% of those who were considered at high risk had this categorization because of the presence of aggravating factors. Among women, 24%, 17%, 4% and 2% were eligible for statin use according to the BR-1, BR-2, USA-1 and USA-2 criteria, respectively (p < 0.01). The respective figures for men were 75%, 58%, 31% and 17% (p < 0.01). Eighty-five percent of women and 60% of men who were eligible for statin based on the BR-1 criterion would not be candidates for statin based on the USA-1 criterion.
Conclusions::
As compared to the North American Guideline, the V Brazilian Guideline considers a substantially higher proportion of the population as eligible for statin use in primary prevention. This results from discrepancies between the risk stratified by the Brazilian Guideline and that calculated by the PCE, particularly because of the risk reclassification based on aggravating factors.
Fundamento::
Existe controvérsia sobre a melhor forma de selecionar indivíduos para tratamento hipolipemiante na população.
Objetivos::
Em indivíduos saudáveis em prevenção primária: avaliar a relação entre o risco cardiovascular segundo a V Diretriz Brasileira de Dislipidemias e o risco calculado pelas pooled cohort equations (PCE); comparar a proporção de indivíduos elegíveis para estatinas, de acordo com diferentes critérios.
MéTodos::
Em indivíduos de 40 a 75 anos submetidos consecutivamente a avaliação rotineira de saúde em um único centro, quatro critérios de elegibilidade para estatina foram definidos: BR-1, BR-2 (LDL-c acima ou pelo menos 30 mg/dL acima da meta preconizada pela diretriz brasileira, respectivamente), EUA-1 e EUA-2 (risco estimado pelas PCE em 10 anos ≥ 5,0% ou ≥ 7,5%, respectivamente).
Resultados::
Foram estudados 13.947 indivíduos (48 ± 6 anos, 71% homens). A maioria dos indivíduos de risco intermediário ou alto pela V Diretriz apresentou risco calculado pelas PCE baixo e mais de 70% daqueles considerados de alto risco o foram devido à presença de fator agravante. Foram elegíveis para estatina 24%, 17%, 4% e 2% das mulheres pelos critérios BR-1, BR-2, EUA-1 e EUA-2, respectivamente (p < 0,01). Os respectivos valores para os homens foram 75%, 58%, 31% e 17% (p < 0,01). Oitenta e cinco por cento das mulheres e 60% dos homens elegíveis para estatina pelo critério BR-1 não seriam candidatos pelo critério EUA-1.
ConclusõEs::
Comparada à diretriz norte-americana, a V Diretriz Brasileira considera uma proporção substancialmente maior da população como elegível para estatina em prevenção primária. Isso se relaciona com discrepâncias entre o risco estratificado pela diretriz brasileira e o calculado pelas PCE, particularmente devido à reclassificação de risco baseada em fatores agravantes.
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