Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal attainment in Germany: Results from the DA VINCI study

Cardiovascular mortality is high in Germany. For patients with high or very high cardiovascular risk, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) guidelines recommend intensive lipid lowering therapy (LLT). This study aimed to assess dyslipidaemia management and achievement of the ESC/EAS guideline-recommended low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals.

This European 18-country, cross-sectional, observational DA VINCI study (EUPAS22075) collected data during a single visit between June 2017 and November 2018 and included LLT in the preceding 12 months and the patients' most recent LDL-C measurement. Achievement of the risk-based 2016 and 2019 ESC/EAS LDL-C goals while receiving stabilized LLT was assessed. Data from the German cohort are presented here.

Seven German sites enrolled a total of 421 primary and secondary prevention patients, 327 were receiving stabilized LLT at the time of LDL-C measurement, i.e. statin monotherapy of high (16%; n = 53), moderate (49%; n = 160) or low (7%; n = 24) intensity, ezetimibe combination (18%; n = 58), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 antibody combination (3%; n = 9), and other LLT (7%; n = 23). The 2016 and 2019 risk-based LDL-C goals were attained by 46% (n = 149) and 28% (n = 92) of patients, respectively.

There is a large gap between ESC/EAS recommendations and LDL-C goal achievement in routine clinical practice in high and very high-risk patients in Germany. Low-to-moderate-intensity statin monotherapy was the most frequently used LLT; use of high-intensity statins and combination therapy was limited. In addition to optimizing statin intensity, combination with non-statin LLT may be needed in most of these patients.