Critical Analysis of the Clinical and Lipidic Profile of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome in a Public Hospital in São Paulo

Background:  Myocardial infarction (MI) is highly influenced by risk factors such as dyslipidemia. Achieving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals is key to reducing the residual cardiovascular risk. However, the proportion of patients with MI who accomplish this goal is unknown.

Objective:  Assess risk factors, lipid profile evolution from admission to the first outpatient consultation, and the therapy administered.

Methods:  This is a descriptive study of patient charts from a public hospital in São Paulo from June 2021 to March 2022. The statistical analyses employed were the Chi-square test and the paired t-test, with significance defined as p-values < 0.05.

Results:  ST-elevation MI (STEMI) occurred in 61% of the patients. Among the patients with previous MI, 50% did not use statins. There was a correlation between STEMI and no statin use (p < 0.05). At hospital discharge, 12%, 17%, and 13% lacked prescriptions for aspirin, clopidogrel, and statins, respectively. At the first outpatient consultation, only 8% of patients with available data reached the absolute LDL-C goal of <50 mg/dL. Only 9% of patients had their cholesterol levels assessed at admission and at the first outpatient consultation, while 26.7% of those achieved at least a 50% LDL-C reduction. The mean LDL-C reduction was 25% (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:  Considering the severity of the assessed patients, the cardiovascular risk stratification was ineffective, the pharmacologic therapy was not optimized, and the achievement of the LDL-C goals according to guidelines was unsatisfactory in this population.

Keywords:
LDL Cholesterol; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Lipids