A. Svilaas et al., How well are patients with atherosclerotic disease treated? Secondary prevention in primary care, SC J PRIM H, 18(4), 2000, pp. 232-236
Objective - To examine changing trends in the held of secondary prevention
of atherosclerotic disease in Norwegian general practice.
Design-A multipractice survey of consecutive patients with atherosclerotic
disease consulting general practitioners in 1994/95 compared with a similar
survey in 1996/97.
Setting - Primary health care. Subjects - 707 patients attending 31 general
practitioners in 1994/95 and 1353 patients attending 63 general practition
ers in 1996/97.
Main outcome measures - The patients were examined and interviewed for risk
factors and pharmacological treatment.
Results - In 1994/95, 18% of the patients had been prescribed a lipid-lower
ing agent as opposed to 55% in the later survey. Consequently, the average
level of LDL cholesterol in the 1996/97 population was 19% lower than in th
e 1994/95 population (3.8 mmol/l vs 4.7 mmol/l), which may imply a marked r
isk reduction. Aspirin and beta-blockers were prescribed to approximately 5
0% of the patients in both surveys. Diabetic patients had the same drug pre
scription rate and lipid profile as non-diabetics. In both surveys, about 2
5% of the patients were smokers.
Conclusion - Secondary prevention in the majority of patients with atherosc
lerotic disease though ameliorating is still unsatisfactory. More attention
is needed to achieve and sustain treatment goals.