Antidyslipidemic Drug Prescriptions and Lipid Control Status After Unfavorable Annual Health Checkup Results: A...

Japanese employers are obligated to offer employees annual health checkups and guidance programs for their health promotion and maintenance to prevent cardiovascular (CV) and lifestyle-related diseases. Under these programs, checkup recipients are notified of the checkup results, and in case of abnormal findings, employers are expected to provide employees with follow-up encouragement to change their behavior; for example, with medical consultations or lifestyle modifications. However, the effect of these programs on behavioral changes and their subsequent clinical outcomes has not been clearly assessed.

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in CV risk management behaviors after receiving unfavorable health checkup results on serum lipid levels among subjects without antidyslipidemic drug prescription and uncontrolled lipid levels and at elevated risk of CV events in a real-world setting.

This retrospective cohort study used a Japanese employment-based health insurance database managed by MinaCare Co., Ltd. This study analyzed the data from the annual health checkups of recipients aged 20-74 years with data on their low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), and triglyceride (TG) values from 2015 to 2017, who had uncontrolled lipid levels based on their checkup results at baseline in 2015, and without prescription records of antidyslipidemic drugs. Lipid status was considered uncontrolled if any of the following were detected: LDL-c ≥ 140 mg/dL, HDL-c < 40 mg/dL, or TG ≥ 150 mg/dL. Changes in antidyslipidemic drug prescription, as a primary CV risk management behavior measure, and in lipid control status in 2016 and 2017 were investigated. Potential factors associated with lipid control were also explored using logistic regression analysis.

Among 154,421 subjects without antidyslipidemic drug prescription and with uncontrolled lipid levels in 2015, 93.6% remained without antidyslipidemic drug prescription in both 2016 and 2017. Of these subjects, 76.8% and 76.4% continued having uncontrolled lipid levels in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Fewer subjects without prescription achieved lipid control than those with prescription. Various factors were associated with lipid control, with high LDL-c as the greatest risk factor for uncontrolled lipid levels.

These results suggest that most health checkup recipients may not have changed their behaviors; that is, they may have not sought medical treatment and continued having uncontrolled lipid levels in the years following the unfavorable health checkup results. To encourage subjects to initiate desirable behavioral changes, more practical support may be essential.