BACKGROUND: Recent studies have confirmed that treatment with lipid-lowering 
drugs decreases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in primary as well as 
secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In 1999, new Swiss 
recommendations for treatment with lipid-lowering drugs have been published. We 
therefore performed a study to estimate the proportion of patients with coronary 
artery disease requiring lipid-lowering drugs.
METHODS: We included 637 patients with coronary heart disease who were referred 
for coronary angiography during 1991-1993. We calculated the proportion of 
patients requiring lipid-lowering drugs according to the new Swiss guidelines, 
and compared them with European and US guidelines.
RESULTS: According to the 1999 Swiss recommendations, 79% of the study 
population would have qualified for lipid-lowering treatment (males 80%, females 
78%; patients aged up to 69 years 80%, patients aged 70 years and over 73%). 
Agreement with both the Recommendations of the Second Joint Task Force of 
European and other Societies on Coronary Prevention, and the ACC/AHA Guidelines 
for Management of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction, was 96% (Kappa 0.79 
and 0.83 respectively).
CONCLUSION: A large proportion of patients with coronary artery disease 
qualifies for treatment with lipid-lowering drugs. The new Swiss recommendations 
closely agree with European and US guidelines.