Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42743594›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of primary health care2026

Changes in LDL-C levels among primary health care patients with hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes during a 36-month follow-up.

Petra Valkonen, Ulla Mikkonen, Hannu Kautiainen, Pekka Mäntyselkä, Nina Tusa

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of primary health care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Petra ValkonenInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern, Finland.ORCID 0009-0000-0833-808X
Ulla MikkonenInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern, Finland.ORCID 0000-0003-1333-6948
Hannu KautiainenFolkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID 0000-0003-0786-0858
Pekka MäntyselkäInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-5236-1815
Nina TusaInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-5169-508X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsLow-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level is one important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of primary health care patients with hypertension, coronary artery disease, or diabetes according to their LDL-C levels and to observe changes in these levels and medications during the 36-month follow-up.

methodsThis study was based on a clinical trial, conducted in a health centre in Siilinjärvi, Finland, between 2017 and 2021. A total of 507 patients with hypertension, coronary artery disease, or diabetes were divided into four groups based on their baseline LDL-C levels to align with the dyslipidaemia guideline risk categories as follows: LDL-C (mmol/L) in Group 0 (< 1.4), Group 1 (1.4-1.8), Group 2 (>1.8-2.6), and Group 3 (> 2.6).

resultsThe mean age at baseline was 69 years (58% females). All patients in Groups 0 and 1 already used lipid-lowering medication. A lower LDL-C level at baseline was statistically significantly associated with higher age, lower blood pressureand lower alcohol consumption. There were changes in the pharmacologically active substances prescribed in all groups. During the 36-month follow-up, the mean LDL-C values decreased statistically significantly in group 3 (-0.76 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.90 to -0.62, -21%,

conclusionsThis study provides a perspective on real-word treatment patterns and changes in medications prescribed as the recommendations change over time. During a period of increasing pharmacotherapeutic opportunities, this study, conducted in everyday clinical practice suggests that common lipid-lowering medications (atorvastatin and rosuvastatin) are most frequently used for primary health care patients, and are associated with a significant decrease in LDL-C levels. A greater decrease was observed among patients with higher baseline LDL-C values. Despite decreases in LDL-C, this study suggests that the gap remains between guideline-recommended treatment targets and achieved LDL-C levels.

Indexed as

Cholesterol, LDLCoronary Artery DiseaseDiabetes MellitusHypertensionPrimary Health CareAgedDyslipidemiasFemaleFinlandFollow-Up StudiesHumansHypolipidemic AgentsMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsCholesterol, LDLHypolipidemic Agentsatherosclerotic cardiovascular diseasecholesteroldyslipidaemiashypolipidemic agentsLDLprimary health care

Identifiers

PMID42743594
PMCPMC13580365

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.