Review of referral criteria to lipid clinics and outcomes of treatment in four UK centres

Lipid clinic experience with bempedoic acid in three UK centres

OBJECTIVE

Novel lipid-lowering therapies are being introduced. Few studies exist of the real-world effectiveness of adenosine-tri-phosphate citrate lyase inhibition with bempedoic acid.

METHODS

This study audited bempedoic acid therapy in 216 consecutive patients from three hospital centres - a university hospital (n = 77) and two district general hospitals (n = 106 and 33). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, prescription qualification criteria, efficacy and adverse effects were assessed.

RESULTS

The population was aged 65.9 ± 11.0 years, 42% were male, 25% had type 2 diabetes, and 31% had familial hypercholesterolaemia. CVD was present in 19% and multibed vascular disease in 8%. Statin intolerance was reported in 92%. Bempedoic acid reduced total cholesterol by 1.58 ± 1.44 mmol/L (20%), LDL-C by 1.37 ± 1.31 mmol/L (27%), triglycerides by 0.22 mmol/L (2%) with an 0.06 mmol/L (1%) increase in HDL-C after 22 ± 9 months follow-up. An LDL-C <2.5 mmol/L was achieved in 40% and <2 mmol/L in 20%. Efficacy (r2 = .33) was predicted by baseline LDL-C (β = .54; p <.001). No significant changes were seen in transaminases, creatinine, creatine kinase, urate or HbA1c. Treatment was discontinued by 33% of patients and occurred due to myalgia (43%), lack of efficacy (16%) and gastrointestinal adverse effects (15%). No cases of gout were observed. In a logistic regression only the number of previous drug classes not tolerated (β = 1.60; p = .009) was a contributing factor to discontinuation.

CONCLUSION

This audit suggests that bempedoic acid therapy is effective but that adverse effects and discontinuation are common. This suggests nocebo effects might be generalizable to all lipid-lowering drug therapies in susceptible individuals.

Lipid Clinic is an Efficacious Model of Preventive Medicine

Aim. To characterize patients accessing lipid clinic and assess the efficiency of treatment in a specialized medical center.

Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of the surviving medical records of outpatients who visited the lipid clinic of the National Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine (Moscow, Russia) in 2011-2019 (n=675) was carried out. Cardiovascular risk (CVR) and target lipoproteins levels were evaluated in accordance with actual guidelines for the diagnostics and correction of dyslipidemias.

Results. The mediana of lipid clinic patients age was 57 [46;65] years. Female persons attend lipid clinic more often (61.5%). 48.5% of patients had low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) >4.9 mmol/L, 7.7% had triglycerides level >5.5 mmol/L. Most of the patients were diagnosed with type IIa hyperlipidemia (44,1%) or type IIb (28,0%). Inherited impaired lipid metabolism was diagnosed in 27.7% individuals. 12.7% of the patients had familial hypercholesterolemia, 57.4% – had secondary causes of impaired lipid metabolism. More than half of the patients (52.4%) had low or moderate CVR, 28.1% had a very high CVR. High or very high CVR individuals revisited the lipid clinic more often than people with lower risk (68.2% vs. 35.4%). Revisiting patients (25.4%) reached LDL-c targets more often (33.3% of very high CVR patients; 45.5% of moderate-risk people) than in ordinary outpatient practice. High-intensity statin therapy was recommended for 32% of patients, and combined lipid-lowering therapy – for 14.8%. Among very high CVR individuals, combined lipid-lowering therapy was prescribed for 38.5%. Given the lipid-lowering therapy prescribed in the lipid clinic, LDL-с<1.8 mmol/L and<1.5 mmol/L will be achieved at 40.7% and 32.9% of patients with very high СVR.

Conclusion. Lipid clinic is an important part of the medical care system for long-term follow-up of patients with impaired lipid metabolism, and it is more efficient in achieving target values of lipids and correcting risk factors in comparison with the primary medical service.