title: Level of awareness of on-treatment patients about prescribed statins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Statins are frequently prescribed drugs for patients with coronary heart disease according to evidence-based medicine. However, compliance with these agents has still been far from ideal, since they require long term, probably life long therapy. We conducted a survey on patients who were already on statin treatment and evaluated their level of awareness of prescribed statins.
  
  
  METHODS
  236 participants (117 male, 119 female), who had been on treatment with statins for at least three months, were enrolled in our study after giving informed consent. Patients were asked close-ended survey questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 5.5% of participants were on statin treatment for primary prevention, and 16.1% of them had a CHD equivalent, defined as those with clinical manifestations of noncoronary forms of atherosclerotic disease (peripheral arterial disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, carotid artery disease) and diabetes mellitus. Most participants (70%) stated that they had been using statins to decrease cholesterol, whereas 16.5% stated that they had no idea. More than half of the participants (58%) stated that they did not know how long they would have to keep using their statins, whereas 21% replied that they would use them continuously. One fifth of participants had some idea about side effects. Participants in whom statin therapy was started during hospitalisation for coronary angiography and/or PCI more frequently answered that statins should be used continuously (49% vs. 12% not hospitalised, p < 0.01). Also, therapy adjustment by the physician led to a better understanding of the need for continuous use (55% vs. 31% without medication change, p < 0.001), as was the case for patients with < 2 co-medications (36% vs. 17% with > 2 co-medications, p 0.002). Presence of other risk factors did not have any impact on level of awareness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comprehensive information at initial prescription, initiation of statins during hospitalization, dose adjustment during follow up, and as little co-medication as possible seem to increase the level of awareness of the benefits of long-term statin treatment. This might result in better compliance rates.
authors.affiliation: Yuksek Ihtisas Education and Research Hospital, Cardiology Clinic, 06170 Yenimahalle, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. cardioceptor@ttnet.net.tr
authors.forename: Mehmet Birhan
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Senay Funda
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Biyikoglu
authors.forename: Yesim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guray
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karabal
authors.forename: Vedat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Caldir
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cay
authors.forename: Onur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasmaz
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors