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To the Editor
Our recently published study using electronic health records from primary care setting in the UK examined low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction among patients initiating statins.1 We are grateful to Dr Taher Modarressi, Dr Dieter Lütjohann, Professor Oliver Weingärtner, Dr Tülin Muggleton and Dr Ellis Muggleton for their comments.
With regards to the points raised:
Suboptimal cholesterol response to initiation of statins and future risk of cardiovascular disease – Dr Taher Modarressi
While biomarkers are useful to establish associations with various disease conditions including cardiovascular disease (CVD), often these biomarkers are not routinely offered or measured in primary care settings within the UK, and hence are not available in electronic health records. Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), a large lipoprotein particle produced in the liver, is not routinely measured in patients in UK general practice. There is, however, evidence indicating Lp(a) might be a useful biomarker that has …
Footnotes
RKA and SFW contributed equally.
Contributors SFW is guarantor.
Funding The research was funded and supported by the University of Nottingham.
Competing interests NQ is a member of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Guideline Development Group (CG71) and NICE Lipid Modification Guidelines Group (CG181). SFW is a member of the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Independent Scientific Advisory Committee and previously held an National Institute for Health Research - School for Primary Care Research (NIHR-SPCR) career launching fellowship award. The remaining authors have no competing interests.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.