Objective: To report about a group of physicians' understanding of the recommendations of the II Brazilian Guidelines Conference on Dyslipidemias, and about the state of the art of primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerosis.
Methods: Through the use of a questionnaire on dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis prevention, and recommendations for lipid targets established by the II Brazilian Guidelines Conference on Dyslipidemias, 746 physicians, 98% cardiologists, were evaluated.
Results: Eighty-seven percent of the respondents stated that the treatment of dyslipidemia changes the natural history of coronary disease. Although most of the participants followed the total cholesterol recommendations (<200mg/dL for atherosclerosis prevention), only 55.8% would adopt the target of LDL-C <100 mg/dL for secondary prevention. Between 30.5 and 36.7% answered, in different questions, that the recommended level for HDL-C should be <35mg/dL. Only 32.7% would treat their patients indefinitely with lipid- lowering drugs. If the drug treatment did not reach the proposed target, only 35.5% would increase the dosage, and 29.4% would change the medication. Participants did not know the targets proposed for diabetics.
Conclusion: Although the participating physicians valued the role played by lipids in the prevention of atherosclerosis, serious deficiencies exist in their knowledge of the recommendations given during the II Brazilian Guidelines Conference on Dyslipidemias.