Volume 15, Number 2, March-April 2008

A UK survey of rosuvastatin in general practice: reaching cholesterol targets
George Kassianos, John Reckless, Cathy Emmas, Marc Evans, Andrea Tree, Andrew Vance

Data from 101 practices that had completed a survey of cholesterol target achievement using rosuvastatin in routine general practice were pooled to assess effectiveness at a national level. A total of 10,396 patients, who had total cholesterol (TC) measured prior to, and on, rosuvastatin 10 mg daily, were included in the analysis. Of these, 6,375 patients had not received a statin prior to rosuvastatin. The remainder had been switched from another statin. Significant reductions were observed in TC (28%) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (40%) when comparing prior to and on rosuvastatin 10 mg (p<0.001). A significantly greater proportion of patients achieved the General Medical Services (GMS) Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) target of TC ≤5 mmol/L with rosuvastatin 10 mg compared with prior to rosuvastatin (81% vs. 19%; p<0.0001). Of the 580 patients who had failed to reach target on atorvastatin 10 mg daily, 70% reached target on rosuvastatin 10 mg. Similarly, 68% of 246 patients who had failed to reach target on simvastatin 40 mg daily reached target on rosuvastatin 10 mg. General practitioners across the UK also substantially achieved other national and international cholesterol targets in patients treated with rosuvastatin 10 mg, including second line to simvastatin 40 mg and where higher doses of other statins had failed to reach target.

Br J Cardiol 2008;15:95-100.

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