Statin Use Remains Low for At-Risk Patients
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Statin Use Remains Low for At-Risk Patients

Brittany Vargas

December 04, 2023

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TOPLINE:

Changes in statin prescribing guidelines in 2013 had little effect on statin use for patients who are at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine

METHODOLOGY:

  • Statins lower cholesterol and can reduce the risk for heart and circulatory disease.

  • In 2013, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) expanded indications for which clinicians could prescribe statins to adults for primary prevention, including risk scores for ASCVD above a certain threshold. 

  • Researchers studied trends in statin use between 1999 and 2018 using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for 21,961 adults older than 20 years who did not have ASCVD. 

  • They analyzed data from before and after implementation of the 2013 guidelines.

TAKEAWAY:

  • Statin usage increased since 1999 but peaked at 35% in 2013 despite the expanded ACC/AHA guidelines.

  • No changes in usage were observed for the proportion of adults who were newly eligible for statins. 

  • Statin use among patients with diabetes increased by 31.1 percentage points between 1999 and 2014 but then remained stagnant from 2014 to 2018.

  • Statin use among those with ASCVD risk of more than 20% increased by 23.1 percentage points between 1999 and 2013 but did not increase between 2013 and 2018.

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