Heart disease is a major health issue worldwide and the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Statin medications are commonly prescribed to reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with high cholesterol or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
However, a new study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that more than 20% of high-risk patients refused to take statin medications.
The researchers analyzed data from over 24,000 patients who were seen at Mass General Brigham between Jan. 1, 2000, and Dec. 31, 2018.
The patients included in the study had either a coronary artery or vascular disease, diabetes, very high cholesterol, or had suffered a stroke, and were recommended statin medications by their physicians.
The study found that while about two-thirds of the patients eventually tried statin therapy, about one-third never did.
Women were about 20% more likely than men to refuse statin therapy when it was first suggested by their physician, and 50% more likely than men to never accept the recommendation.
The team developed a system to study the phenomenon of patients refusing statins by analyzing the text of provider notes, as he had noticed that many of his patients with high cholesterol, including those with diabetes, were opting not to take statins.
They say that the study’s results signal that doctors must have discussions with patients about why they are refusing statins and understand their patients’ preferences to provide more patient-centered care.
The study also showed that all patients who refused statin therapy developed higher LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, likely increasing their risk even further.
People in the study who initially refused to take statin medications took three times as long to reduce their LDL cholesterol levels to less than 100, compared to people who initially agreed to take statins.
The researchers wonder if the higher rate of refusal by women than men might be due in part to a false misconception that heart disease impacts men more than women, and plan to further research the reasons underlying these results.
The team is currently looking at the impacts of the nonacceptance of statin therapy on outcomes that matter most to patients, including heart attacks, strokes, and death.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Vitamin D deficiency can increase heart disease risk, and results showing vitamin B6 linked to lower death risk in heart disease.
The study was conducted by Alex Turchin et al and published in JAMA Network Open.
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