CHICAGO (Reuters) - Atherosclerosis, the arterial buildup of fat and other
deposits that leads to heart disease, is undertreated around the world
along with its underlying ills such as obesity, a study said on Tuesday.

"This study shows a substantial gap between the recommended guidelines for
treatment of atherosclerosis and the care patients actually receive," said
Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic who led the study
covering more than 40 countries.

"We've never had an accurate picture of the burden of atherosclerosis
around the world. This study begins to paint a clearer picture," he said.

The report said patients around the world with hardening of the arteries
got fewer cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins or blood thinners like
aspirin than they needed.

Tobacco use, high blood pressure and excess weight also were inadequately
addressed, according to the study.

The researchers found that 39 percent of people with atherosclerosis were
overweight, more than 25 percent were obese and more than 3 percent
morbidly obese.

North America has the most severe weight problem, it said.

The study, published in this week's Journal of the American Medical
Association, analyzed information on 67,888 people with atherosclerosis as
documented in the records of 5,473 doctors in 44 countries.

"These data demonstrate a strikingly elevated degree of obesity
internationally as a critical cardiovascular risk factor," the study said.