OBJECTIVES: This cross-sectional study attempted to identify the extent of prevalence of low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and/or elevated triglycerides (TG) combined with elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) among statin treated patients in French clinical practice. METHODS: Using BKL-THALES database we identified patients who were treated with a statin for at least six months and also had a complete lipid profile (LDL-C, HDL-C and TG) within the past six months. Patients were considered to be at high CV risk if they had a history of CV disease, diabetes or 10 year CHD risk ≥ 20 %. National guidelines in France (AFSSAPS) were used to define lipid threshold levels.  Based on these guidelines, HDL-C and TG threshold levels were  ≥0.40 g/l and ≤1.5 g/l whereas, LDL-C threshold levels were identified as ≤2.2 g/l, ≤1.9 g/l, ≤1.6 g/l , ≤1.3 g/l or ≤1.0 g/l depending on the number of risk factors and the level of CV risk. RESULTS: In a sample of 2544 patients treated with statins (93% as monotherapy), approximately 51% patients (n=1292) experienced ≥1 lipid abnormalities. Among these, 55% had elevated LDL-C while approximately 25% had elevated LDL-C along with HDL-C and/or TG abnormality. Nearly half (n=1201) of the sample were high CV risk patients with 71% (n=854) experiencing ≥1 lipid abnormalities. Among the latter, prevalence of elevated LDL-C was 72% , while nearly one-third experienced low HDL-C and/or elevated TG combined with elevated LDL-C. CONCLUSIONS: In this cross-sectional study of French patients treated with statins, over half of all patients (approximately upto three-quarter among high CV risk) with at least one lipid abnormalities experienced elevated LDL-C.  In addition, up to one-third of high CV risk patients experienced low HDL-C and/or elevated TG disorders along with elevated LDL-C and could potentially benefit from other lipid-modifying therapies besides statins.