The use of hypolipidemic drugs has been analyzed in 1,113 patients after myocardial infarction using a questionnaire with data entered from the medical records by spa physicians. 80.1% of patients had total cholesterol values > 5.2 mmol/l; mean value being 6.16 +/- 1.08 mmol/l. Mean values of LDL-cholesterol were 4.05 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, of triglycerides 2.01 +/- 1.14 and of HDL-cholesterol 1.26 +/- 0.61 mmol/l. Hypolipidemic drugs were used only in 16.5% patients with total cholesterol values above 7.0 mmol/l, in 14.4% patients with total cholesterol values 6.2-7.0 mmol/l and in 11.4% of patients with cholesterol values 5.2-6.2 mmol/l. Even some patients with cholesterol more than 8.0 mmol/l were not treated by hypolipidemic drugs. The most frequently used drugs were fibrates (phenofibrate, gemfibrozil)--in 89.5% patients. Statins were used only in 7.5% patients receiving hypolipidemic drugs. Our results show that in contrast to the US and European Recommendations for hypolipidemic drug therapy in patients with CHD, this treatment is still infrequently used by Czech cardiologists and internists. This discrepancy is even more apparent when comparing it with other life prognosis improving drug therapies in this group of patients. Antiplatelet drugs, mainly ASA were used in 85.5% patients, beta-blocking drugs in 59.3% patients and ACE inhibitors in 55.9% patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Thus hypolipidemic therapy in CHD is the key problem of drug therapy in patients after myocardial infarction in the Czech Republic.

Keywords: Adult; Aged; Czech Republic; Drug Utilization; Female; Humans; Hyperlipidemias /blood/; Hypolipidemic Agents /therapeutic use/; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction /complications/; Surveys and Questionnaires