NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The use of statin (cholesterol lowering agent) by elderly patients suffering from “atherosclerosis” or clogged arteries, remains least favorable despite improvements in the last 10 years, according to a study conducted in Canada.

Many practice guidelines suggest the use of statins in people with atherosclerosis or chronic heart diseases (CHD), but several studies have also shown, under utilization of statins in this context, the researcher noted in the Journal of Vascular Surgery this month.

Dr. Subodh Verma from St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, and colleagues analyzed trends in statin use among elderly patients with atherosclerosis in Ontario.

Sum of 343,154 patients with atherosclerosis, 68.7 percent had coronary artery diseases (CAD), 33.5 percent had a history of stroke or other “cerebrovascular disease,” and 7.0 percent had peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Between 1995 and 2004, the average of statin users amplified from 11.8 percent to 61.2 percent in the CAD patients, from 5.3 percent to 41.2 percent in cerebrovascular disease patients and from 6.8 percent to 43.3 percent in the PAD patients, the investigators report.

Regardless of these increases, “the use of statins in this patient population was still suboptimal.” This care gap was more prominent among patients with PAD or cerebrovascular disease, or both, than among patients with coronary artery disease.” the investigators say.

This article is the property of http://www.ElegantDirectory.com
Copying and publishing any article from our site is strictly NOT allowed.