Secondary prevention in a cardiology group practice and hospital setting after a heart-care initiative

The American Heart Association (AHA) Consensus Panel Statement for Preventing Heart Attack and Death in Patients with Coronary Disease provides recommendations for the secondary prevention of heart disease in at-risk patients. Blackstone Cardiology Associates of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, undertook an initiative in their practice implementing secondary-prevention guidelines in patients with coronary artery disease. This retrospective study evaluates practice patterns for the management of hyperlipidemia for a cardiology group in an ambulatory and hospital setting after the institution of a physician-supervised, nurse-based disease management program. Practice patterns in patients with established coronary heart disease treated in a lipid center compared with non-lipid-center settings were evaluated. Parameters evaluated included documenting low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, presence of lipid-lowering therapy, and achieving the National Cholesterol Education Program II (NCEP II) goal of LDL-cholesterol levels < or =100 mg/dL in patients with preexisting coronary artery disease. A total of 352 patients met inclusion criteria in the lipid-center setting and were compared with 289 non-lipid-center consecutively chosen patients. Age and gender differences were also evaluated. Inpatient medical records from a 254-bed Brown University-affiliated teaching hospital were also evaluated for lipid profile, achievement of NCEP II goal, and use of lipid-lowering medication on admission and discharge. The most recent LDL-cholesterol values of patients followed in the lipid-center and in the non-lipid-center setting of the Blackstone Cardiology Associates were compared. Blackstone Cardiology Associates consists of 4 cardiologists and 4 advanced-practice nurses. Achievement of LDL-cholesterol goal was higher in both the lipid-center and non-lipid-center settings compared with baseline. A smaller percentage of patients at goal in the lipid setting is likely due to referral bias resulting in patients with more difficult-to-manage mixed dyslipidemias and behavior-management issues ending up in the lipid center. There were no apparent sex differences at goal, and more elderly (age > or =65 years) achieved goal in the lipid clinic center. In the non-lipid-center setting, more males were at goal and had a lower mean LDL-cholesterol level.