What Do US Physicians and Patients Think About Lipid‐Lowering Therapy and Goals of Treatment? Results From the GOULD Registry

Abstract

Background Because of an increasing number and complexity of treatment options for lipid‐lowering therapy in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, guidelines recommend greater active involvement of patients in shared decision‐making. However, patients' understanding and perceptions of the benefits, risks, and treatment objectives of lipid‐lowering therapy are unknown. Methods and Results Structured questionnaires were conducted in 5006 US outpatients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and suboptimal low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) control (LDL‐C ≥70 mg/dL) or on a PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitor and in 113 physician providers as a part of the GOULD (Getting to an Improved Understanding of Low‐Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Dyslipidemia Management) Registry. Mean age of the patients was 68±10 years, 60% were men, and 86% were White race. Across all patients, 63% believed heart disease was the leading cause of death in men and 46% the leading cause of death in women. Only 28% of patients thought the primary reason they were taking lipid‐lowering medication was to lower the risk of heart attack or stroke, 68% did not know their approximate LDL‐C level, and 69% did not know their LDL‐C goal. Patients on PCSK9 inhibitors (versus LDL‐C cohort), younger patients (versus age ≥65 years), and men (versus women) were somewhat more knowledgeable about their disease and its management. Most physicians (66%) felt that a lack of understanding of the importance and efficacy of statins was the primary factor contributing to nonadherence, as opposed to costs (9%) or side effects (1%). More education was the most commonly used strategy to address patient‐reported side effects. Conclusions A large proportion of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remain unaware of their underlying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, reasons for taking lipid‐lowering medications, current LDL‐C levels, or treatment goals. These data highlight a large education gap which, if addressed, may improve shared decision‐making and treatment adherence. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.org; Unique identifier: NCT02993120.

Keywords

• cardiovascular diseases
• low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol
• medication adherence
• shared decision‐making