Defining the prevalence of low HDL-C in a European cohort of dyslipidaemic patients

Low HDL-cholesterol is increasingly recognized as an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes, irrespective of levels of LDL-cholesterol. Although sporadic reports suggest that the prevalence of low HDL-cholesterol is substantial, we lack detailed data on the true prevalence of this condition among patients receiving treatment for dyslipidaemia. The Pan-European survey on HDL-cholesterol has collected data on levels of HDL-cholesterol, together with other lipid parameters and cardiovascular risk factors, from more than 9000 dyslipidaemic patients by 1350 specialist physicians in 11 European countries. A preliminary analysis of a subset of the participants in the survey suggests a population at markedly elevated cardiovascular risk. The detailed information from this survey, currently under analysis, will define the magnitude of the contribution of low HDL-cholesterol to dyslipidaemia in Europe and will focus on the need to include strategies for correcting low HDL-cholesterol within multiple risk factor intervention programmes.