Suboptimal LDL-Cholesterol Control Under the 2019 ESC/EAS Dyslipidemia Guidelines: Results From the Nationwide TEMD-2 Study in Type 2 Diabetes.

Abstract

Lowering LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) decreases cardiovascular risk substantially in type 2 diabetes. Despite stricter LDL-cholesterol targets in the 2019 ESC/EAS dyslipidemia guidelines, target achievement in clinical practice remains insufficient. TEMD-2 is designed to evaluate LDL-cholesterol target attainment in Turkish patients with type 2 diabetes in the context of the updated 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines. This multicenter cross-sectional study included adults with type 2 diabetes followed in 70 tertiary endocrine clinics across 36 cities between October 2022 and January 2023. Sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, lifestyle factors, complications, laboratory measurements, and lipid-lowering therapies were assessed using standardized questionnaires and clinical evaluations. LDL-C target was assigned according to cardiovascular risk categories. Independent predictors of goal attainment were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Among 4956 adults with type 2 diabetes, 99.5% required statin therapy, whereas 37.1% were on treatment. Overall, 8.3% of the cohort achieved LDL-cholesterol targets, with attainment lowest in those at very high risk (5.8%). Target achievement among statin users was 57.7% in moderate-risk, 18.1% in high-risk, and 9.4% in very-high-risk patients. Individuals on target had lower body mass index, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), triglycerides, and a lower prevalence of microvascular complications. Statin therapy was the strongest positive predictor of success (odds ratio 2.39), while smoking, presence of neuropathy, nephropathy, female sex, older age, and higher HbA1c were associated with lower likelihood of achieving LDL-cholesterol goals. Therapeutic inertia was present in 87.2% of patients, defined as no intensification of lipid-lowering therapy despite LDL-cholesterol levels above target. Three years after the implementation of the 2019 dyslipidemia guidelines, patients with type 2 diabetes remain far from achieving LDL-C targets, with fewer than one in ten reaching target levels. This shortfall is expected to translate into a growing burden of cardiovascular disease, morbidity, and premature mortality throughout the life course of individuals with diabetes.