Magnitude and management of hypercholesterolemia in the adult population of Spain, 2008-2010: The ENRICA Study.

Introduction and objectives: Only a few studies have reported nationwide population-based data on the magnitude and control of hypercholesterolemia. This work examines the prevalence and management of hypercholesterolemia in Spain. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted from June 2008 to October 2010 on 11 554 individuals representative of the population aged >= 18 years in Spain. Study participants provided 12-h fasting blood samples, which were analyzed in a central laboratory with standardized methods. Results: In the whole population, 50.5% had hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol >= 200 mg/dL or drug treatment) and 44.9% high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (>= 130 mg/dL or drug treatment), with no substantial sex-related differences. Moreover, 25.5% of men showed high-density lipoprotein cholesterol < 40 mg/dL and 26.4% of women high-density lipoprotein cholesterol < 50 mg/dL. Also, 23.2% of men and 11.7% of women had triglycerides >= 150 mg/dL. Frequency of dyslipidemia increased up to 65 years, except for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol which did not vary with age. Among those with high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 53.6% knew of it and 44.1% of them received lipid-lowering treatment; among the latter, 55.7% had a controlled level (13.2% of all hypercholesterolemics). Control of high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased with age and with the number of visits to the specialist physician, but was lower among diabetics (odds ratio=0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.280.53) and patients with cardiovascular disease (odds ratio=0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.92). Conclusions: About half of the Spanish population has elevated serum cholesterol; moreover, cholesterol control is poor, particularly among those with highest cardiovascular risk, such as diabetics or patients with cardiovascular disease. (c) 2012 Sociedad Espanola de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.