The Aou of Sassari against chronic heart disease. 90% of patients followed in the Dyslipidemia outpatient clinic, over 2,000 people visited since 2023, achieved a decrease in the so-called bad cholesterol with values lower than 55 mg/dl within six months of the first visit. This is one of the goals achieved by Clinical and Interventional Cardiology which, since 2023, has started a screening for severe dyslipidemia, with the project Secondary prevention and optimization of the outpatient management of patients affected by chronic heart disease.
The “protagonists” of the tests were people between 30 and 80 years old, following discharge for acute coronary syndrome with high cholesterol levels that could not be controlled with traditional pharmacological treatments. Sardinians suffer from cardiovascular risk both due to their age and the incidence of diabetes and familial hypercholesterolemia and it is therefore essential to carry out secondary prevention action . Dyslipidemia occurs when the levels of fats in the blood are unbalanced causing a surplus of cholesterol or triglycerides, or with a deficit of the so-called “good cholesterol”, which causes possible situations of plaque in the arteries and atherosclerosis. These are risk factors that - together with high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle and a diet rich in fats - can cause chronic heart disease.
"In Sardinia," says Gavino Casu, director of Clinical and Interventional Cardiology, "dyslipidemias have a particular incidence. This is why alterations in lipid metabolism represent a significant health challenge . On the island, the causes can be linked to a genetic predisposition or to unhealthy lifestyle habits, which require specific and highly complex treatments." The incidence of the disease on the island is high and it is estimated that around 400,000 Sardinians may live with these metabolic anomalies, often without knowing it.
"To identify this imbalance," Professor Casu continues, " blood tests that measure total cholesterol, triglycerides and the various lipid fractions are essential . An integrated approach that allows, through a balanced diet, regular physical activity and, if necessary, the use of drugs, to keep lipid levels under control and protect cardiovascular health."
