Laboratory reporting of framingham risk score increases statin prescriptions in at-risk patients

•Statins are under-prescribed in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.•Interventions are needed to increase statin use in primary care patients.•Laboratory generated Framingham Risk Score increases statin use in all risk groups.•Framingham Risk Score reporting could improve cardiovascular risk...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical biochemistry 2021-10, Vol.96, p.1-7
Main Authors: Hasan, Sarah, Naugler, Christopher, Decker, Jeffrey, Fung, Marinda, Morrin, Louise, Campbell, Norm R.C., Anderson, Todd J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Framingham Risk Score
Primary Prevention
Statin
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Summary:•Statins are under-prescribed in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.•Interventions are needed to increase statin use in primary care patients.•Laboratory generated Framingham Risk Score increases statin use in all risk groups.•Framingham Risk Score reporting could improve cardiovascular risk prevention. The under-utilization of cardiovascular preventative therapy with statins warrants novel interventions to optimize prescriptions in at-risk patients. We investigated the role of a laboratory generated Framingham Risk Score (FRS) provided to primary care clinicians in changing statin use in a primary care setting. Data was acquired from the electronic medical records of 1573 anonymized patients undergoing routine lipid testing. Follow-up statin use and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were obtained for 2 years post intervention. FRS parameters were entered into a laboratory information system, and provided to ordering physicians along with the cholesterol profile and the appropriate current Canadian Dyslipidemia treatment recommendation in a single report. Statin prescription rates following the intervention were compared with historical use 6 months prior to the study. A total of 1283 participants (mean age of 60 ± 11 years) had an FRS report and were considered for analysis. Two hundred individuals filled a statin prescription in the 6 months prior to their index lipid test, and an additional 84 filled a statin prescription following the intervention (42% increase). The relative and absolute increase in statin prescription was 47.3% and 13.6% in the high-risk group p 
ISSN:0009-9120
1873-2933
DOI:10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2021.06.004