Dyslipidemia : The scope of the problem

C oronary artery disease is estimated to affect over 81 million adults in America, with a projected cost of $156.4 billion healthcare dollars in 2008. It remains the leading cause of death in Americans, with an average of one death per minute due to a coronary event. Ninety percent of all persons with an acute coronary event will have at least one of the following predisposing risk factors: hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cigarette smoking or diabetes. More than 106 million Americans—46% of the adult population— have a total cholesterol of 200mg/dL or greater, and this does not include the 11% of adolescents with similar levels of total cholesterol. According to data from the 3rd Report from the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in AdultsAdult Treatment Panel III (NCEPATP III), the majority of these patients are receiving suboptimal care. Only a minority of patients (less than 50%) that qualify for treatment of their dyslipidemia as part of a cardiovascular risk reduction strategy are on any form of treatment. The same holds true for those with symptomatic coronary artery disease who are at the highest risk for future cardiovascular events.