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Family Heart Foundation real-world analysis reveals that majority of Americans at high risk of stroke and heart attack remain under-treated

Findings to be presented at ACC Scientific Sessions highlight life-threatening gaps in treatment

Reports and Proceedings

FAMILY HEART FOUNDATION

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 28, 2023 – According to a new study from the Family Heart Foundation, a leading research and advocacy organization, 72.2% of high-risk hypercholesterolemia patients never achieve the low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) thresholds recommended in the 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. This may be due to a lack of physician prescribing, insurance coverage and patient follow through, despite the known risk of cardiovascular disease. Based on real-world data from an analysis of the Family Heart DatabaseTM of more than 300 million Americans, the findings will be highlighted in a poster presentation at the American College of Cardiology 2023 conference on March 4, 2023 at 12:45 pm at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

“This study provides us with a clear view of the poor state of LDL cholesterol management for high-risk individuals in the United States,” said Mary P. McGowan, M.D., chief medical officer, Family Heart Foundation, and co-author of the study. “Despite the availability of safe and effective lipid-lowering therapies, only 28% of high-risk patients ever reach below guideline LDL-C thresholds, which further elevates these patients’ risks for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events, such as heart attacks and stroke.”

Titled “72% of High-Risk Hypercholesterolemia Patients Never Reach Below ACC/AHA Guideline LDL-C Thresholds,” the observational study assessed achievement of LDL-C below thresholds in 38,110,734 high-risk patients.

Additional key findings from the study show:

• Only 27.8% of all high-risk patients ever reached below-guideline LDL-C thresholds.
• For those with episodes below LDL-C thresholds, mean duration of each episode was 158.8 days.
• 79.5% of clinicians never prescribed combination cholesterol-lowering medications though the guideline provides direction and rational for doing so.
• Only 2.2% of high-risk patients received combination cholesterol-lowering medications.

The Family Heart Database is comprised of real-world diagnostic, procedural, and prescription data from claims and/or laboratory information in the U.S. from 2012 to 2021.

The poster will be available for viewing throughout the Congress in the Poster Hall – Hall F. In addition, the Family Heart Foundation will be discussing the implications of this research for the American public at a multistakeholder roundtable in New Orleans with key opinion leaders in cardiology and public health.

 

About the Family Heart Foundation

The Family Heart Foundation is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization. The Foundation is a pioneer in the application of real-world evidence, patient-driven advocacy, and multi-stakeholder education to help prevent heart attacks and strokes caused by familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and elevated Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), two common genetic disorders that have an impact across generations. The Family Heart Foundation conducts innovative research to break down barriers to diagnosis and management of inherited lipid disorders; educates patients, providers, and policy makers; advocates for change; and provides hope and support for families impacted by heart disease and stroke caused by FH, HoFH, and high Lp(a). The organization was founded in 2011 as the FH Foundation. For more information, visit FamilyHeart.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.