Endocrine Abstracts

Aım

The aim of this study is to investigate the attitude of physicians, who are specialized in internal medicine, endocrinology, nurology and cardiology, on LDL target levels and antilipidemic treatments in Turkey.

Methods

This study outlines attitudes of physicians towards the guideline-recommended LDL target levels in diabetic dyslipidemia. An invitaiton to fill a questionnaire on demographic and profession characteristics as well as attitudes towards the guidelines. 564 physicians filled the questionairre.

Results

42.2% of the physicians participating in the survey are between the ages of 30–39 and 0.9% of them are over 70. 27.1% of them have been working as a physician for 5–10 years and 12.9% for 15–20 years. 55% of the physicians’ profession are internal medicine, 27.1% endocrinology, 10.1% cardiology and 7.8% neurology. 95.2% of the physicians stated that they had been taking the guideline recommendations as reference and TEMD(Turkey Endocrinology and Metabolism Association) and ACC/AHA(American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association) guidelines were the most considered guidelines. While the majority agrees that LDL level is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, 0.9% of the physicians are not sure and 0.7% of them disagree. 13% of the physicians disagree with the view of ’routine statin therapy should be initiated in high risk type 2 diabetic patients’. Although guidelines recommend keeping LDL below 55 mg/dl with high dose statin therapy in type 2 diabetic patients with cardiovascular disease, 8% of physicians do not agree with this recommendation. 30.2% of the physicians aim the LDL level < 55 mg/dl for the patients with type 2 diabetes accompanied by progressive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 55.8% of those physicians are specialized in internal diseases. Only 9.3% of physicians aims LDL level < 55 mg/dl for the patients with type 2 diabetes accompanied by chronic renal failure. 40.3% of them are specialized in internal diseases. 28% of the physicians do not agree with the suggestion that statin therapy should continue for life.

Conclusions

Although physicians affirm that they follow the guidelines, LDL target level recommendations in current guidelines are not seem to be adopted. The guidelines recommend low LDL target levels, while physicians keep target levels higher.