title: Impact of statin related media coverage on use of statins: interrupted time series analysis with UK primary care data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify how a period of intense media coverage of controversy over the risk:benefit balance of statins affected their use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interrupted time series analysis of prospectively collected electronic data from primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) in the United Kingdom.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients newly eligible for or currently taking statins for primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention in each month in January 2011-March 2015.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adjusted odds ratios for starting/stopping taking statins after the media coverage (October 2013-March 2014).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no evidence that the period of high media coverage was associated with changes in statin initiation among patients with a high recorded risk score for cardiovascular disease (primary prevention) or a recent cardiovascular event (secondary prevention) (odds ratio 0.99 (95% confidence interval 0.87 to 1.13; P=0.92) and 1.04 (0.92 to 1.18; P=0.54), respectively), though there was a decrease in the overall proportion of patients with a recorded risk score. Patients already taking statins were more likely to stop taking them for both primary and secondary prevention after the high media coverage period (1.11 (1.05 to 1.18; P<0.001) and 1.12 (1.04 to 1.21; P=0.003), respectively). Stratified analyses showed that older patients and those with a longer continuous prescription were more likely to stop taking statins after the media coverage. In post hoc analyses, the increased rates of cessation were no longer observed after six months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A period of intense public discussion over the risks:benefit balance of statins, covered widely in the media, was followed by a transient rise in the proportion of people who stopped taking statins. This research highlights the potential for widely covered health stories in the lay media to impact on healthcare related behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: Department of Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Herrett
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gasparrini
authors.affiliation: Health eResearch Centre, Farr Institute for Health Informatics Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrect, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tjeerd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Staa
authors.affiliation: Department of Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goldacre
authors.affiliation: Department of Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Liam
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smeeth
authors.affiliation: Department of Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Krishnan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bhaskaran
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065186:Interrupted Time Series Analysis; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D061108:Social Media; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors