Underuse of cholesterol-lowering medications creates ëmissed opportunitiesí

ATLANTA ó Despite the improvements that have been made in cholesterol reduction, more efforts are needed to improve usage rates of cholesterol-lowering medications in patients, including those with familial hypercholesterolemia, according to a presentation at the FH Foundationís FH Global Summit.

Rear Admiral Betsy L. Thompson, MD, MSPH, DrPH, assistant surgeon of the U.S. Public Health Service and director of the division for heart disease and stroke prevention at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the CDC, said the division has several goals: reduce the risk for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, improve management and control of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia and to reduce the burden of stroke and heart disease.