TOPLINE:

Patients with depression were diagnosed with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) earlier than those without depression and were more likely to be prescribed lipid-lowering therapy (LLT). Control of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels during the first year was similar regardless of depression status.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a retrospective observational cohort study using 2010-2019 health records in Wales to see whether prescribing LLT was linked to meeting recommended LDL cholesterol targets after ASCVD diagnosis in patients with and without depression.
• They included adults without ASCVD at the baseline, with or without depression. During the study, they recorded new ASCVD and whether depression occurred before or after ASCVD diagnosis.
• The final analysis included 56,463 patients with ASCVD. Of them, 1937 had pre-ASCVD depression, 879 had post-ASCVD depression, and 53,647 did not have depression.
• Prescriptions for LLT, including statins, fibrates, ezetimibe, and prescription-grade n-3 supplements, were tracked.
• Outcomes were any LLT prescription within 6 months of the first ASCVD diagnosis and the achievement of LDL cholesterol levels below 1.8 mmol/L within 1 year of diagnosis.

TAKEAWAY:

• Patients with pre-ASCVD depression were 11.5 years younger at ASCVD diagnosis than those without depression and were more often women.
• Only 32.0% of patients were prescribed LLT within 6 months of the first ASCVD diagnosis. Patients with depression received the prescription more often than those without depression (39.8% pre‑ASCVD and 56.2% post‑ASCVD vs 30.2%; P < .001).
• Achieving the target of LDL cholesterol levels below 1.8 mmol/L was not associated with depression status.

IN PRACTICE:

"Whilst ASCVD patients with depression were more likely to be prescribed LLT, this did not translate into better LDL-C [LDL cholesterol] control, which was similar to non-depressed patients. Major efforts are required to improve suboptimal lipid management in ASCVD patients," the researchers concluded.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Carla White, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales. It was published online on November 05, 2025, in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

LIMITATIONS:

This study used observational data and thus might have inaccuracies or missing entries. Adherence to LLT could not be assessed.

DISCLOSURES:

This study received funding from the British Heart Foundation Project Grant. One author reported receiving support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at University College London Hospitals and the NIHR ARC North Thames. Three authors reported receiving an unrestricted research grant and/or honoraria from Amgen Inc, and another author reported receiving consultancy fees from Health Technology Wales.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.