More than half of heart disease patients admitted to the hospital have low levels of 'good' cholesterol, which is linked to higher heart disease risk.
Scientific Claim
In patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease, 54.6% have admission high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels below 40 mg/dL, indicating a high prevalence of low 'good' cholesterol in this population.
Original Statement
“High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was <40 mg/dL in 54.6% of patients.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The claim is a direct quote from the abstract and describes a prevalence rate without implying causation. The observational design supports descriptive claims but not causal ones, and the language used is appropriately conservative.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Lipid levels in patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease: an analysis of 136,905 hospitalizations in Get With The Guidelines.
This study looked at thousands of heart disease patients when they were first admitted to the hospital and found that more than half had low levels of the 'good' cholesterol, which is exactly what the claim says.