Cardiovascular disease prevention: cholesterol treatment target (secondary prevention)

Indicator

The percentage of patients with CVD in whom the last recorded LDL cholesterol level (measured in the preceding 12 months) is 2.0 mmol/litre or less, or last recorded non-HDL cholesterol level (measured in the preceding 12 months) is 2.6 mmol/litre or less, if LDL cholesterol is not recorded.

Resource impact

The resource impact of the proposed indicator including the potential capacity impact for primary care has been considered as part of the resource impact work for the updated guideline: Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification - Escalation of Therapy.

It is thought that escalation of therapy may lead to an increase in the number of appointments in primary care and an increase in the number of lipid tests carried out.

The resource impact tools for the updated guideline can be found here and can be used to model the local impact of implementing the updated recommendations.