Researchers have documented significant underutilization of statins in type 2 diabetic patients receiving antihyperglycemic agents.
The data show that show that while almost all patients with type 2 diabetes are eligible for statin therapy, approximately a third of eligible patients do not receive a statin prescription.
The investigators reported their findings at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2010, Chicago.
“Based on the results, we recommend a more integrated approach whereby physicians manage both diabetes and lipids simultaneously, by prescribing diabetes medications and statins concomitantly in appropriate patients,” said Dr. Alex Fu with the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.
Type 2 diabetics are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, and the use of statins is widely recommended in current treatment guidelines for type 2 diabetic patients regardless of their lipid levels.
Using a large electronic database, the researchers estimated the percentage of type 2 diabetics who needed a statin based on American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendations and the percentage of patients who received a statin in clinical practice.
The analysis included 125,464 patients with type 2 diabetes who were at least 25 years old.
While 98% of the patients satisfied ADA eligibility standards for statin therapy, only 63% actually received a statin prescription.
Dr. Fu and his colleagues said that their data mean that efforts should be made to improve statin use in type 2 diabetics who are at high risk for cardiovascular events.
Finally, they noted that the analysis did not exclude patients who may be intolerant or have contraindications to statin use which may represent a potential study limitation.
Written by Jill Stein
Jill Stein is a Paris-based freelance medical writer.