Table 1 Web-based survey used to investigate beliefs and behaviour in dyslipidaemia management in the four countries*

2. Do you believe that elevated LDL cholesterol is an important cause of coronary disease and ischaemic stroke?

Yes/No/Uncertain

3. Concerning use of statin, do you have concerns related to any of the following. (More than one item can be selected)?

· Increase of the risk of haemorrhagic stroke

· Increase of the risk of cognitive impairment

· Increase of the risk of new onset diabetes

· Development of muscle disorder

· Increased risk of hepatic disease

· Others (Please specify)

· Do not have any concern

4. Do you have concerns about lowering LDL cholesterol levels in patients with

· Haemorrhagic stroke: Yes/No/Uncertain

· Ischaemic stroke: Yes/No/Uncertain

· Transient ischaemic attack (TIA): Yes/No/Uncertain

· Subarachnoid haemorrhage: Yes/No/Uncertain

5. Do you think statins have any effect on cognitive function?

Yes/No/Uncertain

6. Please indicate the percentage of patients who cannot use statins continuously due to adverse effects (such as muscle symptoms, etc.).

0% (I have no statin-intolerant patients)

≥ 0.1 to < 5%

≥ 5 to < 10%

≥ 10 to < 15%

≥ 15 to < 20%

≥ 20%

7. Please indicate your target level of LDL cholesterol after initiation of drug therapy in the following patient groups

· A history of any coronary artery disease: The target level of LDL cholesterol should be < mg/dl (please specify)

· Without a history of coronary artery disease but with a history of diabetes mellitus/chronic kidney disease/ischaemic stroke/peripheral artery disease: The target level of LDL cholesterol should be < mg/dl (please specify)

· Without a history of the conditions listed above: The target level of LDL cholesterol should be < mg/dl (please specify)

8. Do you have concerns about safety if the LDL cholesterol is below the following levels?

· 20 mg/dL (0.52 mmol/L)

· 30 mg/dL (0.78 mmol/L)

· 40 mg/dL (1.03 mmol/L)

· 50 mg/dL (1.29 mmol/L)

· 60 mg/dL (1.55 mmol/L)

· 70 mg/dL (1.80 mmol/L)

· 0ther value [mg/dL or mmol/L]

· Does not have any opinion

9. Do you think markedly low LDL cholesterol levels affect the incidence of haemorrhagic stroke?

Yes/No/Uncertain

10. How much does the LDL cholesterol level affect the risk of inducing atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases?

· Affects the risk significantly

· Affects the risk moderately

· Uncertain

· Affects the risk to a small extent

· Does not affect the risk

11 Do you sometimes use “non-HDL cholesterol level” as a risk index of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD, coronary artery diseases, non-cardiogenic cerebral infarction) or a therapeutic efficacy index during your medical practice?

· non-HDL cholesterol level is not used

· non-HDL cholesterol level is sometimes used as “a risk index of ASCVD”

· non-HDL cholesterol level is sometimes used as “a therapeutic efficacy index.”

· non-HDL cholesterol level is sometimes used as both “a risk index of ASCVD” and “a therapeutic efficacy index.”

12. For Japan: Concerning “Comprehensive risk management chart for the prevention of cerebro- and cardiovascular diseases” developed in 2015 mainly by The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine, please inform us about the status of your recognition/use of the chart.

· I know about this chart and am actually using it

· I know about this chart, but have never used it

· I do not know about this chart.

For Germany: Concerning the European Guidelines (ESC/EAS) for lipid management.

· I know about the guidelines and I am actually using them

· I know about the guidelines, but I have never used them.

· I do not know about the guidelines

For Colombia: Concerning the AHA/ACC Guidelines for lipid management

· I know about the guidelines and I am actually using them

· I know about the guidelines, but I have never used them.

· I do not know about the guidelines

13. Concerning Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH, one type of primary hyperlipidaemia), which best reflects your practice?

· I know about FH and have patients with FH (which was found by my diagnosis) and am engaged in their treatment.

· I know about FH and have referred patients with suspected FH to some other medical institution/physician.

· I know about FH but have never seen a patient with suspected FH.

· I do not know about FH.

14. When you make a diagnosis of FH in an adult patient (15-year-old or older), do you perform the followings? (More than one item can be selected)

· Palpation of Achilles tendon

· X-ray photography of Achilles tendon

· Take a family history of hyper-LDL-cholesterolaemia

· Take a family history of FH

· Take a family history of premature coronary artery diseases

· None of the above

15. Do you think patients with FH have an increased incidence of ischaemic stroke?

Yes/No/Uncertain

16. Do you think statins have any adverse effects on renal function?

Yes/No/Uncertain

17. Do you think the lowering of LDL cholesterol reduces ASCVD events in patients with CKD?

Yes/No/Uncertain

18. If yes, is LDL cholesterol lowering therapy effective for patients with any stage of CKD?

Yes/No/Uncertain

19. What do you think is the target LDL cholesterol level for primary prevention of the patients with CKD?

< 140 mg/dL (< 3.62 mmol/L)

< 120 mg/dL (< 3.10 mmol/L)

< 100 mg/dL (< 2.6 mmol/L)

< 70 mg/dL (< 1.8 mmol/L)

Medicate without setting the target LDL cholesterol level

20. Do you think the target LDL cholesterol level is different between patients with different CKD stage?

Yes/No/Uncertain

21. Do you think there is a clinical benefit to treat CKD patients with hypertriglyceridaemia?

Yes/No/Uncertain

22. How do you treat CKD patients with hypertriglyceridaemia?

· Use statins

· Use fibrates

· Use nicotinic acid derivatives

· Use n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid

· Manage through lifestyle modification without medications

23. Do you reduce the dose of statins in patients with CKD?

Yes/No/Uncertain