Impact of nonprescriptive factors on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction with statins

Nonprescriptive factors, including patient adherence, can affect the fluctuations in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol observed in the clinical setting. In 241 statin-treated patients, although drugs and doses remained fixed, 57% of patients initially successful in reaching LDL cholesterol targets showed subsequent increases in LDL cholesterol. Conversely, 60% of patients who initially failed to reach targets had subsequent reductions in LDL cholesterol, with nearly 1/3 eventually attaining their LDL cholesterol goals. (C) 2004 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.