Achievement of LDL-cholesterol Targets: Why do We Fail, and How Can We Improve?

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the first cause of death in the world, and Brazil.^, Individuals with previous ASCVD are at the highest risk of subsequent events, and guidelines recommend aggressive lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels to prevent bad outcomes.^,

However, several reports from around the world indicate a gap between guideline recommendations and clinical practice, and a large proportion of the population, especially in secondary prevention, lives with LDL-c levels above those considered reasonable to prevent events.^– Indeed, lack of adherence to guideline-recommended therapies was independently associated with major cardiovascular events in a Brazilian population after acute coronary syndrome.

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