Key result
Nearly ~23% of new statin users are inappropriately started despite low cardiovascular risk.
Why the study?
The characteristics of patients newly prescribed statins by general practitioners and the concordance of prescribing with national guidelines were not well described.
Cohort (n=1,631)
Yes
Substantial inappropriate statin initiation in low-risk patients warrants clinician review; leaves open whether patterns persist or vary by region.
Statins are widely prescribed for the prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events. Our objective was to describe the characteristics of patients newly prescribed a statin by general practitioners and assess the concordance of prescribing with national guidelines. Patients who were 18 years or older, French-speaking, available for the 2-year study duration, and had no history of statin use were recruited. Biological parameters were measured, and medical history, sociodemographic characteristics, and health behaviours were recorded using structured questionnaires. Patients’ eligibility for a statin was assessed using the Canadian Cardiovascular Society’s dyslipidemia guidelines. Of the 1631 new statin-users enrolled, 47.6% were women. The mean age for all patients was 57.4 years. According to the Canadian guidelines, 50.6% of patients were considered at high risk for a CV event or had a statin-indicated condition. Moderate and low-risk patients represented 26.7 and 22.7% of patients, respectively.
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Johnson et al. (2020) conducted a cohort in Dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease prevention (n=1,631). Statin initiation was evaluated on Appropriateness of statin initiation based on 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines. Among new statin users in Quebec, 50.6% met 2016 Canadian guidelines for high risk or statin-indicated conditions, whereas 22.7% were low risk and inappropriately initiated on therapy.
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