Patient-Reported Reasons for Not Using Primary Prevention Statin Therapy

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Health Education

Background:

• Nearly half of patients meeting American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines for statin therapy remain untreated.
• Addressing this gap in care is crucial for reducing preventable cardiovascular morbidity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient-reported reasons for non-adherence to guideline-recommended statin therapy within a public healthcare system.
• To identify key barriers and facilitators influencing statin use among eligible patients.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to patients meeting 2013 ACC/AHA statin guidelines but not currently using statins.
• The survey assessed patient knowledge of cardiovascular health and statin benefits, barriers to use, physician trust, and interest in cardiovascular care.

Main Results:

• Among 71 eligible patients not on statins, 69% had a high school education or less.
• 58% were unaware they should be prescribed a statin, and 69% were unaware of statin benefits.
• Despite high interest in cardiovascular health (99%) and physician trust (86%), awareness of statin recommendations and benefits was low.

Conclusions:

• Low awareness of statin benefits and eligibility significantly impacts treatment adherence.
• Systematic patient identification, education on statin therapy benefits, and physician communication are vital to increase statin use.
• Targeted interventions can help bridge the gap between guideline recommendations and actual patient treatment for cardiovascular risk reduction.