Statins In High-risk Arterial Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease In The Application Status Survey

Atherosclerotic vascular disease is currently principal cause of death and disability among global range of people. Results of observational studies in different populations indicate a continuous positive relationship between atherosclerotic vascular disease risk and blood LDL cholesterol concentrations. Previous evidence has demonstrated that lowering blood LDL-C level with statins can suppress the progress of atherosclerosis, reduce the incidence of major vascular events and improve the prognosis. Therefore, statins is one of the most crucial medicines for primary and secondary prevention in patients with CHD or ischemic stroke.Undoubtedly, statins can ameliorate the prognosis in patients with CHD and ischemic stroke. As China is a country characterized by a huge population of patients with CHD or stroke, it is of great realistic significance that practical policies should be established by health administrative offices and medical organizations of different levels, so as to promote statins to be used universally and sufficiently in long run. Nevertheless, Policymaking must be based on the nowadays situation of statin use. We investigated the actual condition of statin use via 11 838 atherosclerotic vascular cases at high risk from domestic representative 32 cardiology departments and 21 neurology departments. The data is warranted to be authentic and reliable, for the identity and diagnosis of the atherosclerotic vascular disease of all patients were verified by checking their ID cards and medical notes. If any statin was being taken, the duration of total statin therapy and current dosage were recorded by electronic data collection system which can check completeness, internal consistency, and accuracy automatically. Of these patients,8 161 high-risk patients with CHD had indications for statins. However, more than 40% patients were not using statins when screened. Event in those with statins, about 1/5 patients had been taking for shorter time than their CHD history. Meanwhile,5 585 patients with atherosclerotic ischemic stroke also had indications for statins,60% of whom suffered a stroke within 3 months to 2 years. However, up to 80% patients didn't use statins when screened. Even in these patients with statins, about 1/4 patients took statins for much more shorter than their stroke history. The current study represents statin use is underused in the urban Chinese patients with stroke or CHD in the highest ranking hospitals, which means the average statin use among such people patients in other parts of China may even lowerTherefore, the health administrative offices and medical organizations of different levels should fully envisage that the use of statins is serious insufficient in China with huge population of CHD or stroke, learn from the western country's successful theory and model, make reasonable, practical policy. The medical organizations should intensify the training, to narrow the gap between clinical practice and evidence-based medicine, guidelines, and make the use of statins more scientific and standardized. In the mean while, media and professional staffs should popularize health education among general majority, in order to make them fully identify the preventive and therapeutic actions of statins. Only the multi-linkages of whole society could improve the serious insufficient use of statins fundamentally, suppress the severe challenge of vascular diseases in China.