OBJECTIVES To estimate productivity loss and associated indirect costs in working-age patients treated for hyperlipidemia. METHODS A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted using Swedish electronic medical records linked to national health registers and the Social Insurance Register. Patients were included based on a prescription of lipid-lowering therapy between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2011 and followed until December 31, 2012 for estimation of productivity loss and cost outcomes. Patients were stratified into three cohorts based on cardiovascular (CV) risk level. RESULTS Total mean days lost, measured as the sum of net sick leave and net disability pension days, during the one-year period following study inclusion was highest in the CV event history cohort (n=6,881; 159 days), followed by the CV risk equivalent (RE) cohort (n=3,226; 131 days) and the low/unknown risk cohort (n=2,497; 86 days). The annual indirect cost related to work productivity loss was estimated at 209,704 SEK for treated hyperlipidemia patients with CV event history. Corresponding data for CV RE patients and patients at low/unknown risk were 168,517 SEK and 108,429 SEK, respectively. The higher CV risk levels were associated with greater productivity losses.  Indirect costs varied within cohorts depending on past diagnoses of the patients. In patients with CV event history, a previous diagnosis of myocardial infarction was associated with the lowest annual indirect costs (189,114 SEK) while a past diagnosis of ischemic stroke was associated with the highest indirect costs (281,985 SEK). Within the CV RE cohort, a previous diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm and transient ischemic attack was associated with the highest (264,441 SEK) and lowest annual indirect costs (156,254 SEK), respectively.  CONCLUSIONS The high level of productivity losses illustrates the high indirect cost burden in patients treated for hyperlipidemia. The type of past CV event affected the level of indirect costs.