Gaps and discontinuation of statin treatment in Norway: potential for optimizing management of lipid lowering drugs.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

In clinical practice, many patients do not reach the recommended treatment targets for LDL-cholesterol levels. We aimed to examine treatment patterns and adherence for patients on lipid lowering drugs in Norway to inform future strategies to improve therapies.

Methods and results

We obtained information on all dispensed statins, ezetimibe, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/-kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors 2010-2019 from the Norwegian Prescription Database. Treatment gaps were assessed assuming patients take one tablet per day and were defined to occur if a patient did not refill a prescription when the previous one should have been depleted. Treatment was defined as discontinued when the preceding prescription would have been used and no new subsequent prescription was fi

SUBMITTER: Engebretsen I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9683394 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature