..Drafting.
One in four Spanish patients repeats an atherosclerotic cardiovascular episode after the first two years of having suffered it. This is demonstrated by the preliminary results of Reality, a retrospective observational study of the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVA) and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), supported by Novartis.
This is a pioneering investigation in Spain, prepared from real data on a population of 1.8 million people treated in our health system. In addition, the study shows that almost 9% of patients die in the following years of having suffered an atherosclerotic cardiovascular event.
The study reveals that almost 9% of patients die in the years following having suffered an atherosclerotic cardiovascular event
The research arose with the aim of evaluating the impact of therapeutic approaches on the levels of LDL-C, commonly known as “bad cholesterol”, and the prevention of ASCVD events. The preliminary results of Reality have been presented during the celebration of the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). This this edition, in addition, has commemorated the 70 years of the first international event of the ESC.
As expressed by the Dr. Vivencio Barrioscardiologist at the Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid and coordinator of the study: “In a high- and very-high-risk population, mostly treated with high- and very-high-intensity lipid-lowering therapies, most patients do not achieve target LDL-C levels during follow-up. However, we did see a correlation between the intensity of treatment administered during this study and the reduction of LDL-C levels in most pathology subgroups.”
ASCVD, a priority health challenge in Spain
Cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death among Spaniards, ahead of pathologies such as cancer or respiratory diseases. In fact, according to the latest study by the National Statistics Institute (INE), 1 in 4 deaths in Spain are due to cardiovascular causes. Specifically, ASCVD is behind 67% of cardiovascular deaths worldwide. The factors that contribute to CVD are diverse, including family history, smoking, obesity, physical activity, diet, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Reality findings could help raise awareness of unmet medical needs around the reality of ASCVD in Spain
The Reality findings could help raise awareness of unmet medical needs in ASCVD and secondary prevention in Spain. “This is the first time that a study of ambition has been carried out with real data in our country. Their results offer us very interesting conclusions to advance in a comprehensive approach to ASCVD and specifically to patients in secondary prevention”, points out Dr. Barrios.
Currently a significant part of the population ignores the importance of good cholesterol control. 46% of patients are unaware of their LDL-C levels and, consequently, their high risk of suffering from CVD, stroke and infarction. In addition, according to experts, on summer dates the percentage tends to increase, due to the sedentary rhythm linked to vacations.
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