Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Dec;3(1-2):27-40.
doi: 10.1007/s40119-014-0031-x. Epub 2014 Nov 18.

Centralized Pan-Middle East Survey on the Under-Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia: Results from the CEPHEUS Study in Egypt

A Reda  1 , A A Abdel-Rehim  2 , A Etman  3 , O S A Afifi  4
Affiliations

Centralized Pan-Middle East Survey on the Under-Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia: Results from the CEPHEUS Study in Egypt

A Reda et al. Cardiol Ther. 2014 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality; however, the risks associated with this disease can be reduced by targeting circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with lipid-lowering drugs, as recommended in many treatment guidelines. Their effectiveness for hypercholesterolemia management depends on appropriate use in at-risk patients. Observational studies have shown varying adherence to national and international guidelines on reaching LDL-C treatment goals.

Methods: The Centralized Pan-Middle East Survey on the under-treatment of hypercholesterolemia (CEPHEUS) study observed the current management of hypercholesterolemia in patients on lipid-lowering drugs in seven Middle Eastern countries, and results from 1,043 patients in Egypt are presented here.

Results: Overall, less than 50% of patients achieved their LDL-C treatment goal, with patients at higher risk of a cardiovascular event being less likely to attain their target. Nearly, three-quarters of patients in this study were considered high or very high risk, with only 10% of high-risk patients reaching their treatment goal.

Conclusions: Management of hypercholesterolemia in Egypt is comparatively worse than the average for similar countries in the region, and many patients with high risk of CVD are not being effectively treated. Initiatives to improve physicians' management of these patients and patient compliance to treatment are urgently needed.

Funding: AstraZeneca, Cairo, Egypt.

Keywords: CEPHEUS; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular risk; Egypt; Hypercholesterolemia; LDL cholesterol; Lipid-lowering drugs; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Observational; Statins.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Patient baseline risk category according to the NCEP ATP III 2004 updated guidelines obtaining their treatment goals. NCEP ATP III US National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization. Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2010. Geneva: WHO; 2011. http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd_report_full_en.pdf. Accessed Oct 30, 2014.
    1. Mathers CD, Loncar D. Projections of global mortality and burden of disease from 2002 to 2030. PLoS Med. 2006;3:e442. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0030442. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gehani AA, Al-Hinai AT, Zubaid M, INTERHEART Investigators in Middle East et al. Association of risk factors with acute myocardial infarction in Middle Eastern countries: the INTERHEART Middle East study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2014;21:400–410. doi: 10.1177/2047487312465525. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Yusuf S, Hawken S, Ounpuu S, INTERHEART Study Investigators et al. Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): case-control study. Lancet. 2004;364:937–952. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17018-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Almahmeed W, Arnaout MS, Chettaoui R, et al. Coronary artery disease in Africa and the Middle East. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2012;8:65–72. doi: 10.2147/TCRM.S26414. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources