title: Sociodemographic factors are associated with utilisation of statins after ischaemic stroke/TIA.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse if there are sociodemographic differences in the utilisation of statins 9-12 months after ischaemic stroke or transitory ischaemic attack.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anonymised linkage of registry data on all patients >18 years discharged from the hospitals in Stockholm, Sweden 2006-2010 with diagnosis of ischaemic stroke (ICD-10: I63.0-9) or TIA (ICD-10: G45.9) was performed. Data on hospitalisations and diagnoses were collected from the Stockholm County Council administrative databases on healthcare consumption. Dispensed prescriptions with statins and, for comparative purposes, antihypertensive agents 9-12 months after discharge were acquired from the National Swedish Prescribed Drug Register. Data about socioeconomic factors were obtained from Statistics Sweden. The dispensing of statins and antihypertensive agents, relative to sociodemographic variables were analysed. Using logistic regression odds ratios, crude, and adjusted with education, income, origin of birth, age, and sex as predictors where calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 24 312 patients with ischaemic stroke/TIA, 19 335 were alive 12 months after discharge. Statins were dispensed to 44% of all patients in the cohort, more frequently to men of all age groups, to patients with higher education, and to those with higher income. Antihypertensive agents were dispensed to 68% of all patients and there were no differences related to sex and income whilst patients with lower education were dispensed with antihypertensives more frequently.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We find a low utilisation of statins one year after ischaemic stroke/TIA. Patients with low education, low income, and female sex were dispensed fewer prescriptions of statins indicating a need for improvement.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet Stroke Research Network at Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.|Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.|Unit of Medicine, Capio S:t Görans Sjukhus, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7929-3533
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Geary
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet Stroke Research Network at Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.|Public Healthcare Services Committee, Department of Healthcare development, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aronius
authors.affiliation: Public Healthcare Services Committee, Department of Healthcare development, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.|Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wettermark
authors.affiliation: Section of Family Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Academic Primary Care Centre, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hasselström
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet Stroke Research Network at Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sjöborg
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet Stroke Research Network at Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.|Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.|Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Section of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.|Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Euler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors