Secondary prevention of coronary artery disease in high-risk diabetic patients

• Published in: Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 238 - 243
• Main Authors: Giorda, C., Maggini, M., Alegiani, S. Spila, Turco, S., Raschetti, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-08-2003
• Subjects: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists - therapeutic use; Adult; Aged; Cohort Studies; cohort study; Coronary Artery Disease - epidemiology; Coronary Artery Disease - etiology; Coronary Artery Disease - prevention & control; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Female; Guideline Adherence; Humans; Hypolipidemic Agents - therapeutic use; Incidence; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Practice Guidelines as Topic; Prevalence; statins; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Italy; statins; cohort study; Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• ISSN: 0939-4753; 1590-3729
• DOI: 10.1016/S0939-4753(03)80017-0

Abstract
To compare guideline implementation and the actual delivery of secondary prevention for coronary artery disease in the cohort of Italian diabetic patients enrolled in the DAI study.
The DAI study is a multicentre cohort study of the prevalence and incidence of macroangiopathic events among 19,570 type 2 diabetic patients attending 201 Diabetic Care Units. For this study, we selected 1,475 subjects with a history of myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty at enrollment. Only 25% of the coronary patients in secondary prevention were receiving lipid-lowering drugs, and 20% were receiving
β-blockers. None of the patients in 54/185 Diabetic Care Units were on stains, and none in 82/185 Units were on
β-blockers. Multivariate analysis showed a positive correlation between the number of treatments and the taking of statins, and a negative correlation with age.
Our data highlight a gap between the therapeutic guidelines and actual treatment, with wide variability in the delivery of secondary prevention across Units. The out-of-pocket cost of medication, daily treatment burden and geographic area can be ruled out as possible explanatory factors. Physicians' prescription attitudes may be a possible reason.