Rate of control of LDL cholesterol and incident hypertension requiring antihypertensive treatment in hypercholesterolemic subjects in daily clinical practice

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flow chart of the study inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Table I. Baseline characteristics of patients according to the LDL-C level.^a

		LDL-C < 130		130 ≤ LDL-C < 160		160 ≤ LDL-C < 190		LDL-C ≥ 190		P value
Patients	n (%)	10864	54.1	5860	29.2	2614	13.0	736	3.5
Age, y	mean ± SD	53.7 ± 18.8		60.3 ± 14.6		61.7 ± 13.2		61.0 ± 13.0		< 0.001
Gender, male		4761	43.8	2578	44.0	1035	39.6	253	34.4	< 0.001
Diabetes^b	n (%)	977	9.0	404	6.9	122	4.7	26	3.5	< 0.001
Total-C, mg/dL^b										< 0.001
< 200	n (%)	8482	78.1	347	5.9	–	–	–	–
200–239	n (%)	2268	20.9	4533	77.4	448	17.1	–	–
≥ 240	n (%)	114	1.0	980	16.7	2166	82.9	736	100.0
Triglycerides, mg/dL^b										< 0.001
< 150	n (%)	8825	81.2	4465	76.2	1887	72.2	473	64.3
≥ 150	n (%)	2039	18.8	1395	23.8	727	27.8	263	35.7
HDL-C, mg/dL^b										< 0.001
Low	n (%)	2385	22.0	979	16.7	403	15.4	99	13.5
High	n (%)	8479	78.0	4881	83.3	2211	84.6	637	86.5

^aAt least one LDL-C measurement between 1 July 2006 and 30 June 2007.

^bSix months before the index date.

Table II. Incidence of antihypertensive treatment per 100 person-years by LDL-C level.^a

	LDL-C < 130	130 ≤ LDL-C < 160	160 ≤ LDL-C < 190	LDL-C ≥ 190
	Incidence per 100/y (95% CI)	Incidence per 100/y (95% CI)	Incidence per 100/y (95% CI)	Incidence per 100/y (95% CI)	P value
Age, y
< 65	3.98 (3.68–4.29)	6.89 (6.24–7.54)	7.48 (6.41–8.54)	9.01 (6.82–12.20)	< 0.001
≥ 65	16.78 (15.34–18.22)	16.96 (15.16–18.76)	16.20 (13.43–18.97)	19.97 (13.06–25.49)	0.834
Gender
Male	6.74 (6.17–7.31)	8.38 (7.47–9.29)	8.07 (6.66–9.48)	9.65 (6.54–12.76)	< 0.001
Female	5.54 (5.10–5.97)	10.18 (9.23–11.12)	10.95 (9.41–12.50)	12.27 (9.28–15.25)	0.005
Diabetes^b
Presence	17.49 (14.48–20.50)	14.32 (9.88–18.76)	25.68 (13.82–37.54)	4.53 (4.35–13.40)	< 0.001
Absence	5.57 (5.23–5.91)	9.15 (8.49–9.82)	9.25 (8.21–10.30)	11.33 (9.12–13.54)	0.075
Triglycerides, mg/dL^b
< 150	5.45 (5.09–5.80)	8.90 (8.19–9.63)	9.02 (7.84–10.20)	11.85 (9.07–14.62)	< 0.001
≥ 150	9.49 (8.35–10.64)	10.87 (9.34–12.40)	11.37 (9.06–13.68)	9.92 (6.48–13.36)	0.356
HDL-C, mg/dL^b
Low	7.29 (6.42–8.17)	10.76 (8.94–12.58)	11.72 (8.57–14.88)	11.43 (5.22–17.65)	< 0.001
High	5.74 (5.36–6.11)	9.07 (8.37–9.78)	9.26 (8.15–10.38)	11.13 (8.82–13.44)	< 0.001
Total	6.03 (5.68–6.38)	9.33 (8.67–9.99)	9.60 (8.54–10.65)	11.17 (9.99–13.34)	< 0.001

Incidence per 100/y = incidence per 100 person-years; CI = confidence interval.

^aAt least one measurement between 1 July 2006 and 30 June 2007.

^bSix months before the index date.

Figure 2. Incidence of antihypertensive treatment per 100 person-years by LDL-cholesterol level.

Table III. Multivariable analysis of the association between patients’ level of LDL-C and antihypertensive treatment.^a

	Hazard ratio (95% CI)	P value
Age, ≥ 65 years	2.82 (2.59–3.06)	< 0.001
Male	0.94 (0.86–1.02)	0.147
Diabetes^b,c	1.62 (1.39–1.88)	< 0.001
Triglycerides, ≥ 150 mg/dL^b	1.30 (1.17–1.45)	< 0.001
HDL-C, high^b	0.85 (0.76–0.95)	0.004
LDL-C level^c
< 130 mg/dL	1.00 (Reference)
130–159 mg/dL	1.23 (1.08–1.40)	0.002
160–189 mg/dL	1.24 (1.01–1.51)	0.037
≥ 190 mg/dL	1.45 (1.11–1.89)	0.004

CI = confidence interval.

^aAdjusted for age, gender, presence of diabetes, HDL-C (low level as reference: if HDL-C < 40 mg/dL for men and HDL-C < 50 mg/dL for women) and TG (< 150 mg/dL as reference).

^bSix months before the index date. Absence as reference.

^cAt least one dispensed prescription between 1 July 2006 and 30 June 2007.

Table IV. Multivariable analysis of the association between patients’ level of LDL-C and antihypertensive treatment including patients with a ‘not stable’ LDL-C level.^a

	Hazard ratio (95% CI)	P value
LDL-C level^b
< 130 mg/dL	1.00 (Reference)
130–159 mg/dL	1.27 (1.13–1.44)	< 0.001
160–189 mg/dL	1.25 (1.04–1.51)	0.018
≥ 190 mg/dL	1.48 (1.15–1. 91)	0.002

CI = confidence interval.

^aAdjusted for age, gender, presence of diabetes, HDL-C (low level as reference) and TG (< 150 mg/dL as reference).

^bAbsence as reference.