MONDAY, Nov. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Discussing individualized coronary risk profiles appears to help patients achieve lipid goals, according to an article published in the Nov. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Steven A. Grover, M.D., of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and colleagues randomized 3,053 patients with dyslipidemia to receive either usual care or a 12-month intervention involving ongoing feedback from their primary care physicians on their calculated coronary risk and the change in this risk that lifestyle changes, drug treatment or both would accomplish.
Despite similar statin dosages, patients informed of their coronary risk profile had significantly, though modestly, greater reductions in low-density cholesterol levels (LDL) and total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) ratios compared to those receiving usual care. After adjustment for baseline lipid values, patients in the coronary risk profile group were more likely to reach their lipid targets. The magnitude of benefit of risk profiles was greatest in patients at highest cardiovascular risk.
In the coronary profile group, "patient behavior seems to have been modified as the odds of reaching lipid targets increased approximately 25 percent after adjustment for statin dose and baseline lipid levels. This suggests greater adherence with statins or other lifestyle changes," the authors write.
This study was funded by Pfizer Canada. In addition, several authors report financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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