Excessive-intensity statins underused with atherosclerotic heart problems

Amongst sufferers with atherosclerotic heart problems (ASCVD), high-intensity statins are underutilized in routine care, in keeping with a examine revealed on-line Aug. 2 in Circulation: Cardiovascular High quality and Outcomes.

Ann Marie Navar, M.D., Ph.D., from College of Texas Southwestern Medical Heart in Dallas, and colleagues examined use of statins and different lipid-lowering remedy (LLT) and adjustments in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) amongst sufferers with ASCVD. The evaluation included digital well being record-derived information from outpatient visits for 322,153 sufferers with ASCVD (Cerner Actual-World Information from 92 U.S. well being methods 2017 by means of 2018).

The researchers discovered that 76.1 % of sufferers have been on statins, with solely 39.4 % on high-intensity statins. In contrast with ladies, males have been extra prone to obtain high-intensity statins (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.34). Decrease odds of statin use have been seen with growing age (OR, 0.79 per five-year enhance at 60 years). In contrast with sufferers with coronary heart disease, sufferers with peripheral artery disease (OR, 0.40) and cerebrovascular disease (OR, 0.75) had decrease odds of utilizing high-intensity statins. Most sufferers (61.3 %) at baseline had elevated LDL-C (≥70 mg/dL), together with 59.8 % of these on low/moderate-intensity statins and 76.1 % on no statin. At one 12 months, solely 45.3 % achieved an LDL-C <70 mg/dL. Nonstatin LLT use was low. Amongst sufferers on no statin or low/moderate-intensity statin at baseline, at one 12 months, 14.8 and 13.4 %, respectively, have been on high-intensity statins.

“Concerted efforts are needed to address therapeutic inertia for lipid management in patients with ASCVD,” the authors write.

A number of authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical trade.

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