A new study has found that patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease cut their risk of a second major adverse cardiovascular event by almost 50 percent, if they adhere to taking a statin medication as prescribed by their doctors.
The surprising thing that we found is that so few patients, even within an insured population, just didn’t take their statin medication as prescribed.”
— Heidi May, PhD, Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute
SALT LAKE CITY, UT, USA, March 18, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new study has found that patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease cut their risk of a second major adverse cardiovascular event by almost 50 percent, if they adhere to taking a statin medication as prescribed by their doctors.
While that’s good news for patients, the bad news, however, is that researchers from the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute in Salt Lake City found that only about six percent of patients are in fact following the statin regimen given to them to lower their cholesterol, negating any potential cardiovascular benefits.
“A lot of clinical trials have shown that statins reduce the risk of secondary outcomes, so it’s really important that they take these medications,” said the study’s principal investigator, Heidi May, PhD, principal investigator of the study, and cardiovascular epidemiologist at the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute. “The surprising thing that we found is that so few patients, even within an insured population, just didn’t take their statin medication as prescribed.”
Results of the study were presented on March 16 at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.
In the study, researchers identified 5,468 patients first diagnosed with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease between 1999 and 2013. These patients received a statin prescription to reduce their cholesterol within the first 12 months of diagnosis. Researchers then looked at two things: whether or not the patients took their medication, and how many major adverse clinical events (stroke, heart attack, or death) they had over the next five years.
They found that patients with optimal adherence — who took their statins as prescribed at least 80 percent of the time — reduced their risk of dying or having a heart attack or stroke by nearly 50 percent. Unfortunately, though, only 351 out of those 5,468 patients fell into the optimal adherence category — which is about six percent.
Researchers also found that 25 percent of patients never filled their statin prescription in the first place, and 25 percent didn’t fill their second one.
Researchers think there are several reasons for non-adherence, including a bias against statins, concern that they’re already taking too many medications, worry about side-effects, the incorrect belief that after a few years on statins, they’re cured and don’t need to take them anymore, or they are just not that important.
The cost of the drugs is most likely not a factor, researchers say, since all of the patients in the study were enrolled in SelectHealth insurance, and the statins cost them only about $10 for a 90-day supply.
Dr. May believes the importance of taking statins could be lost in the abundance of information patients are given at discharge.
“During this time, patients most likely don’t feel their best, they’re probably scared about what just happened to them, and nervous about their future. They may not be able to process everything that’s happening and how to best follow up,” she said.
Dr. May added that the findings of the study should help caregivers see how crucial it is to ensure their patients who are being discharged understand the importance of the medication, and that continual education needs to be provided about the importance of taking their medications as prescribed.
“The patients should be asked about whether or not they’re taking their statin at their follow-up appointments, especially soon after discharge,” Dr. May said.
For the study, researchers from Intermountain Healthcare collaborated with The Medicines Company.
“This is important research to better understand the real-world treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and to validate the benefits of statins as proven first-line therapy and the challenges associated with poor adherence,” said Dr. May. “We appreciate our collaboration with The Medicines Company. They share our commitment to improving cardiovascular care for patients.”
Study funding was provided, in part, by donors to the Intermountain Research and Medical Foundation.
Jess Gomez
Intermountain Healthcare
+1 801-718-8495
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SemaConnect smart EV charging station
Company Utilizing Four SemaConnect Charging Stations at Old Mill Corporate Campus
These EV charging stations will be a great addition to the Old Mill Corporate Center as it continues to lead the Salt Lake City community in energy efficiency and green amenities.”
— Connie Meehan, sales manager at SemaConnect
SALT LAKE CITY, USA, March 15, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SemaConnect, the leading provider of electric vehicle charging stations to the North American commercial and residential property market, announces that it has installed two single pedestal EV charging stations and two wall mounted EV charging stations for Beckstrand and Associates. The EV charging stations were installed at Beckstrand and Associates’ Old Mill Corporate Center in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. The Old Mill Corporate Center is considered Salt Lake City’s most prestigious office park offering LEED certification and the latest cutting-edge technologies. The addition of the EV charging stations further enhances that reputation.
“We are very pleased to have been selected by Beckstrand and Associates for its first electric vehicle charging stations,” said Connie Meehan, sales manager at SemaConnect. “With electric vehicle use on the rise in Utah, these EV charging stations will be a great addition to the Old Mill Corporate Center as it continues to lead the Salt Lake City community in energy efficiency and green amenities.”
Two of the new charging stations are mounted on a wall, while the other two utilize a single pedestal. All four are SemaConnect’s Series 6 Charging Stations designed specifically for Class A properties. Among the features this series offers are wireless technology, interactive LED lights, backlit LCD screen, and smart card authorization. The SemaConnect charging stations are restricted to private use of employees and tenants of the Old Mill Corporate Center.
About SemaConnect:
SemaConnect is the leading provider of electric vehicle amenities to the North American commercial and residential property markets. A complete EV support partner, SemaConnect delivers a truly modern property experience through innovative, elegantly designed charging stations and a robust and open network. The company has helped maximize property value and appeal through thousands of successful Class A deployments since its founding in 2008, for companies such as CBRE, JLL, Hines, Greystar, Cisco Systems and Standard Parking. SemaConnect remains the preferred charging solutions partner of municipal, parking, multifamily, hotel, office and retail customers across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit https://www.semaconnect.com/.
Bethany Villarreal
SemaConnect
+1 301-352-3730
email us here
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We’ve made serious progress in understanding what contributes to our health and the levers we can pull to impact it.”
— Mikelle Moore, Intermountain senior vice president of Community Health
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, USA, March 14, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Modern Healthcare magazine has named two Utah healthcare leaders to its list of 10 national “Women to Watch,” which is part of the magazine’s biennial list of the top 25 Women Leaders in Healthcare.
Mikelle Moore, senior vice president of Community Health at Intermountain Healthcare, and Heather Wall, chief commercial officer at Civica RX, were recognized for their influence as healthcare leaders.
Moore, who is a former administrator of Intermountain LDS Hospital, is the leader of Intermountain’s community health efforts, which focuses on issues such as the opioid crisis and suicide prevention. She also leads Intermountain’s charge on a new community-based collaborative to address the social determinates of health, which is designed to proactively address forces that affect people’s health well before they come to a clinic or a hospital, such as chronic hunger, affordable housing, joblessness, lack of transportation, and personal safety.
“I’m extremely honored to be mentioned on this list,” said Moore. “Addressing community health hasn’t always been a top priority in healthcare. We’ve made serious progress in understanding what contributes to our health and the levers we can pull to impact it.”
Wall is a former operations officer at Intermountain LDS Hospital, who recently moved from Intermountain, where she was a leader in the Enterprise Initiative Office, to help lead Civica RX, a not-for-profit generic drug manufacturer and distributor that’s working to make generic medications more available and affordable in hospitals across the nation. More than 700 hospitals nationwide have already shown interest in joining the effort.
“I’m exceptionally honored and proud to be recognized as a female leader in healthcare,” said Wall. “I have the opportunity and privilege to change the world for the better, specifically by working to assure essential generic medications are available and affordable to patients nationwide. I’m inspired by the work we’re doing at Civica and the impact we’ll have on patient care.”
Moore and Wall were the only women in Utah named to this year’s list and are the first associated with Intermountain to be named since 2011.
The Top 25 Women Leaders list is published once every two years. Modern Healthcare magazine is a leading source of news and information about healthcare.
Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based not-for-profit system of 23 hospitals, 170 clinics, a Medical Group with some 2,300 employed physicians and advanced care practitioners, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare through evidence-based best practices, high quality
Glen Beeby
Intermountain Healthcare
+1 206-948-4849
email us here
