Overall prescription rates for RAAS-inhibitors, beta-blockers, and diuretics in Dutch heart failure patients were 50%, 32%, and 86%, respectively, with 18% receiving triple therapy.
Cross-Sectional (n=2,771)
Yes
What are the prescription rates of cardiovascular drugs in heart failure patients in Dutch general practice and what factors influence them?
In Dutch general practice, prescription rates for heart failure medications are suboptimal and are influenced primarily by age and concomitant diseases rather than gender.
BACKGROUND: To study the relation between the prescription rates of selected cardiovascular drugs (ACE-inhibitors and Angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, diuretics, and combinations), sociodemographic factors (age, gender and socioeconomic class) and concomitant diseases (hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular accident, heart valve disease, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus and asthma/COPD) among patients with heart failure cared for in general practice. METHODS: Data from the second Dutch National Survey in General Practice, conducted mainly in 2001. In this study the data of 96 practices with a registered patient population of 374.000 were used. Data included diagnosis made during one year by general practitioners, derived from the electronic medical records, prescriptions for medication and sociodemographic characteristics collected via a postal questionnary (response 76%) RESULTS: A diagnosis of HF was found with 2771 patients (7.1 in 1000). Their mean age was 77.7 years, 68% was 75 years or older, 55% of the patients were women. Overall prescription rates for RAAS-I, beta-blockers and diuretics were 50%, 32%, 86%, respectively, whereas a combination of these three drugs was prescribed in 18%. Variations in prescription rates were mainly related to age and concomitant diseases. CONCLUSION: Prescription is not influenced by gender, to a small degree influenced by socioeconomic status and to a large degree by age and concomitant diseases.
Bongers et al. (Wed,) conducted a cross-sectional in Heart failure (n=2,771). Cardiovascular drugs (RAAS-Is, beta-blockers, diuretics) was evaluated on Prescription rates of selected cardiovascular drugs. Overall prescription rates for RAAS-inhibitors, beta-blockers, and diuretics in Dutch heart failure patients were 50%, 32%, and 86%, respectively, with 18% receiving triple therapy.