Effects of practice setting on quality of lipid-lowering management in patients with coronary artery disease
Abstract
We undertook a study to determine whether there were differences in the quality of lipid management in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in 2 different practice settings (which represent different socioeconomic classes), and to determine the level of compliance with the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines by academic physicians in managing patients with CAD. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed using a systematic chart review of 270 medical records (131 from the cardiology clinic, 139 from the cardiology private practice) of patients with known CAD at an academic tertiary care center in New York City. The total proportion of patients with CAD having a lipid profile ordered in the clinic and private suite was 43%. Of these people, 22% had a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) < or = 100 mg/dl and 54% had an LDL < or = 130 mg/dl (10% and 23% of the total population, respectively). The total proportion of patients taking lipid-lowering medications was 29%. When comparing the quality of treatment between the 2 settings, there were no statistically significant differences in the percentages of patients who had lipid profiles measured (40% clinic vs 47% private suite, p >0.10), in the perc...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Cardiovascular Diseases: Risk Factors
Cardiovascular disease is a significant health concern. Risk factors include hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia and smoking. Women who are postmenopausal are at an increased risk of heart disease. Here is the latest research for risk factors of cardiovascular disease.