Patient compliance to statin treatment: how effective is the media?

Abstract

Objective: Recently, visual and written media broadcasts that it is useless to administer statins and about their significant side effects. We aimed to investigate the affecting factors of patient compliance with statin therapy according to recent guidelines, especially influence of the media.

Methods: In this study we included 286 patients consisting of either receiving statin therapy or newly diagnosed with hyperlipidemia in family medicine out-patient clinics or patients who have discontinued their antihyperlipidemic therapy. Demographical characteristics, clinical features and lipid levels were recorded. Study was carried out in line with the 2011 European Cardiology Society Guidelines on the Management of Dyslipidemias.

Results: It was found that statin treatment was previously started for 76.2% (n=218/286) of the patients with a diagnosis of dyslipidemia. 54.1% (s=118/218) of these patients stopped to take statin within last five years. We found that only 36.6% of the patients taking lipid lowering drugs reached target low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and 52.9% of hyperlipidemic patients discontinued their statin therapy because of the media’s influence. And also, 93.8% of patients refused the statin therapy due to negative news from media when lipid-lowering drug therapy was again proposed in patients with indication.

Conclusion: This study was important to show the rate of persistence and compliance with statin therapy among hyperlipidemic patients. Our results showed that a significant proportion of patients discontinue or refuse therapy because of visual and written media.