Source
Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. edonnell@jhmi.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
We assessed the prevalence of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) <130 mg/dl with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in the National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), weighted to be representative of the general U.S. population.
BACKGROUND:
Rosuvastatin therapy in the JUPITER (Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin) study reduced cardiovascular events among older adults with LDL-C <130 mg/dl and hsCRP > or =2 mg/l.
METHODS:
Using 1999 to 2004 NHANES data, we categorized men age > or =50 years and women age > or =60 years by fasting LDL-C and hsCRP levels, excluding individuals with prevalent coronary heart disease, coronary heart disease equivalent (including diabetes), and other JUPITER exclusions.
RESULTS:
A total of 3.9 million men age > or =50 years and 2.6 million women age > or =60 years meeting JUPITER eligibility criteria had fasting LDL-C <130 mg/dl and hsCRP > or =2 mg/l. In addition, 6.7 million older adults with elevated hsCRP > or =2 mg/l have LDL-C levels that exceed their National Cholesterol Education Program goals.
CONCLUSIONS:
Extrapolating JUPITER eligibility to NHANES, an estimated 6.5 million additional adults could be potential candidates to initiate statin therapy.