• Conor McCaughey, Deepti Ranganathan, Mary Kerins, Gregory Murphy, and Ross Murphy.
• St James Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. cmccaugh@tcd.ie.
• Ir J Med Sci. 2022 Dec 1; 191 (6): 256925772569-2577.

BackgroundOptimisation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) targets is one component of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines recommend lower LDL-C targets than those released in 2016.AimsTo determine the proportion of patients who met 2019 LDL-C targets and compare these to international standards; examine the effect of the introduction of the recent ESC guidelines on target achievement. Examine the choice of lipid lowering therapy (LLT) used in our cohort.MethodsRetrospective chart review of 163 patients who attended CR in 2019. Baseline LDL-C levels were calculated where applicable. Targets achieved were compared with the contemporary ESC guidance. Required LLT was estimated for those who were unable to meet their LDL-C target.ResultsOverall, 96/163 (59%) patients met their absolute LDL-C targets, which was favourable when compared to international standards. Fewer patients treated using the 2019 ESC guidelines met their absolute, (63% (70/112) vs. 51% (26/51)), or relative LDL-C 43% (22/51) targets. A high intensity statin was prescribed in 63% (89/163) of patients and only 9% (5/163) patients were prescribed ezetimibe therapy; increased use of these agents may have led to a further 20% (33/162) of patients meeting their LDL-C targets. 13% (22/163) of patients likely require PCSK9i therapy.ConclusionsPatients may be more likely to meet LDL-C targets while enrolled in CR compared to standard care. Following the introduction of lower absolute LDL-C targets and additional > 50% LDL-C reduction from baseline requirement, fewer patients are meeting the LDL-C targets set out in the 2019 ESC dyslipidaemia guidelines. Additionally, many patients are not on maximum statin therapy, ezetimibe is under-prescribed, and a guideline-reimbursement gap exists for those who require PCSK9i therapy.© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.

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