A Retrospective Study on the Adoption of Lipid Management Guidelines in Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients in a Tertiary Care Centre

Background: Lipid management after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the important aspects of secondary prevention in the high cardiovascular (CV) risk group, and targeted reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) remains the primary target for lipid therapy after myocardial infarction (MI). Study objective: To conduct a retrospective study of the adequacy of lipid management in post-MI patients admitted to a tertiary care centre as compared to the 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemia. Methodology: The study was a retrospective review of medical records of patients admitted with MI under the Ubora Heart Service, Nairobi Hospital, from January 2020 to June 2022. Results: The study population included 79 patients, with a mean age of 59.3 (SD ±12), predominantly male (61 patients, 77.2%), and of African descent (60 patients, 75.9%). The majority of the study population presented with an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (62%), and the six most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors recorded amongst the patients were: systemic arterial hypertension in 50 (63.3%) patients; dyslipidaemia in 34 (43.0%); type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in 25 (31.6); history of smoking in 12 (15.2%); obesity or being overweight in 12 (15.1%); and family history of premature coronary artery disease or sudden cardiac death in four (5.1%) patients. Moreover, 88.6% of the patients had their lipid profile assessment done within 48 hours of admission, with a mean LDL-C level of 3.18 mmol/L (SD ±.18). All the patients recruited in the study were started on high-intensity statins with either 40 mg or 80 mg of atorvastatin or 20 mg or 40 mg of rosuvastatin. Thirty-nine (44%) patients recruited had repeat lipid profiles on follow-up, with a median lipid analysis time of five months (interquartile range (IQR): 2.0-10.0). Of those, only six (17.1%) achieved the LDL-C goal of <1.4 mmo/L while only 16 (45.7%) achieved a greater than 50% reduction from their baseline LDL-C level, with three (8.6%) patients having an increased LDL-C level from baseline. Overall, 14.7% of the patients studied achieved the guideline-recommended LDL-C goal of an LDL-C target of <1.4 mmo/L and a ≥ 50% reduction from baseline LDL-C. After five months of follow-up, 75 (94.9%) patients were on statin monotherapy, with 4 (5.1%) on high-intensity statin and ezetimibe combination therapy. Conclusion: This retrospective study highlights the need for early sensitisation and the adoption of secondary prevention strategies in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), as recommended by the 2019 ESC guidelines.