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AHA survey: Patients unsure how to manage high cholesterol
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Patients with high cholesterol may understand the importance of managing their condition, but many lack the knowledge or confidence needed to do so, according to new survey findings from the American Heart Association.
The survey was conducted as part of the “Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol” initiative, which combines public awareness campaigns and guideline-based practices to help people better understand and manage their risk for CVD, focusing mainly on cholesterol, according to a press release issued by the AHA.
“We wanted to get a sense of what people know about their cholesterol risk and its connection to heart disease and stroke, as well as how people engage with their health care providers to manage their risks,” Mary Ann Bauman, MD, an internal medicine physician based in Seattle and a member of the AHA’s cholesterol advisory group, said in the release. “We found even among these people at the highest risk for heart disease and stroke, overall knowledge was lacking, and there was a major disconnect between perceptions about cholesterol and the significance of its health impact.”
According to the release, although high cholesterol causes approximately 2.6 million deaths per year, only 47% of those with a history of at least one risk factor for stroke or heart disease who participated in the survey had their cholesterol checked in the last year.
Other survey findings include:
Most participants with high cholesterol admitted that although they knew the importance of cholesterol management, they were either confused, discouraged or uncertain about their ability to do so.
82% of respondents could identify a link between cholesterol and risk for heart disease and stroke.
Those with a history of CV conditions underestimated their real medical risk for CVD.
Although those with CVD are at high risk for having recurrent CVD events, only 29% of patients with CVD who took the survey were aware that they were at high risk for another event.
Primary care providers were the most likely to first diagnose high cholesterol and were the health care providers with whom participants most often discussed cholesterol.
Medication (79%), exercise (78%) and diet modifications (70%) were the most common treatment recommendations given by health care providers.
Patients with high cholesterol felt the least informed on their target body weight, how to differentiate between types of cholesterol and cholesterol management goals.
“Research suggests even modestly elevated cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease later in life, but these survey results show an alarming lack of communication between health care providers and those most at risk for [CVD],” Bauman said in the release. “Current guidelines call for lifestyle modifications as first-line treatment, but that’s often not enough. We also need to talk to patients about other risk factors, including genetics and family history, to determine the most effective course of treatment for each individual.”
Disclosure: Bauman reports no relevant financial disclosures.