Everyday, at least 195 South Africans die because of some form of heart and blood vessel disease. This according to figures published by the South African Heart Foundation. That?s a sobering figure.

In fact, the death toll from heart disease in South Africa can be likened to a Boeing 737-900 falling from the sky every day of the year!

With as many as 70 to 80 percent of the population having a cholesterol level higher than the recommended guideline, it has become critical that research be conducted into understanding the psyche of the South African patient on cholesterol lowering medication

Taking action

In response to the growing health and economic burdens of heart disease, a landmark national study of 3 000 patients, which started on 1 November, has been launched by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

Called the Centralised pan-South African Survey on the under-treatment of hypercholesterolaemia (CEPHEUS), it will establish the effectiveness of current cholesterol treatments and whether patients on lipid-lowering therapies, do in fact reach their target Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goals. Delving into the psyche of South African's on cholesterol lowering medication, the study will investigate whether patients know if they have achieved their target cholesterol goal or how close they are to it and perhaps more significantly, whether they even know their cholesterol goal.

These questions sorely need answers, particularly because cholesterol levels are greatly influenced by lifestyle and hereditary factors, with hereditary factors playing an important role in all ethnic groups in South Africa.

You can't hide

No population group is immune from the disease; a disease which has been dubbed the ?silent killer?. Data as far back as 2000 shows that as many as five million South African adults had high blood cholesterol levels.

The first local study of this size and nature, CEPHEUS hopes to determine whether local doctors observe national lipid treatment guidelines when prescribing medication to patients, and what influences their prescribing decisions.

Private and state patients are being recruited for the CEPHEUS study and will be drawn from approximately 70 sites around the country, so as to ensure a fully representative sample. This is vital, as known risk factors for a heart attack are present in all South Africans.

The criteria for patient inclusion in the study is that patients must be 18 years or older, of any gender or race, agree to participate, comply with the survey procedures and have been on any lipid lowering drug treatment for at least three months, with no dose change for a minimum of six weeks.

Our local figures estimate that four percent of men, and five percent of woman over the age of 30 die because of the impact of high blood cholesterol.

Get it right

According to the key clinical investigator Prof Derick Raal, despite the fact that over the last decade there has been a significant increase in the number of patients treated with lipid-lowering drugs, particularly statins, there is evidence to suggest that few patients actually achieve their cholesterol target levels. The current acceptable total cholesterol levels are 5mmol/L with an LDL 'bad' cholesterol level of 3mmol/L, and 2,5mmol/L in people who already have or are at high risk of heart disease (for example, a family history).