Shi-Jun Xia1, Xin Du2, Chao Li1, Jia-Hui Wu1, Ri-Bo Tang1, San-Shuai Chang1, Xue-Yuan Guo1, Rong-Hui Yu1, De-Yong Long1, Rong Bai1, Nian Liu1, Cai-Hua Sang1, Song-Nan Li1, Xiao-Hui Liu1, Jian-Hong Pan3, Jian-Zeng Dong1, Gregory Y H Lip4, Chang-Sheng Ma5. 1. Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China. 2. Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China. Electronic address: duxinheart@sina.com. 3. Peking University Clinical Research Institute, Beijing, China. 4. University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK. 5. Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China. Electronic address: chshma@vip.sina.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, and hence, statin therapy is indicated in majority of AF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed data from the Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry (CAFR) involving 11,496 AF patients from 2011 to 2014. Practice patterns of statin therapy and factors associated with statin underuse were analyzed. Based on the 2013 ACC/AHA cholesterol management guidelines, statins should be recommended for 67.4% (7720/11,461) of AF participants in CAFR, but only 43.4% (3352/7720) with appropriate indications were taking statins. Statin underuse in AF patients was independently associated with male sex, tertiary hospital treatment, outpatient attendance, and absence of 'high risk' cardiovascular risk factors (overweight, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke/transient ischemic attack/peripheral embolism and hypertension). CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of Chinese AF patients had indications for statin therapy. Evidence-based statin prescribing was suboptimal in this population. Greater efforts should be made to improve a holistic approach to cardiovascular risk management in the Chinese AF population.
BACKGROUND:Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, and hence, statin therapy is indicated in majority of AFpatients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed data from the Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry (CAFR) involving 11,496 AFpatients from 2011 to 2014. Practice patterns of statin therapy and factors associated with statin underuse were analyzed. Based on the 2013 ACC/AHA cholesterol management guidelines, statins should be recommended for 67.4% (7720/11,461) of AFparticipants in CAFR, but only 43.4% (3352/7720) with appropriate indications were taking statins. Statin underuse in AFpatients was independently associated with male sex, tertiary hospital treatment, outpatient attendance, and absence of 'high risk' cardiovascular risk factors (overweight, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke/transient ischemic attack/peripheral embolism and hypertension). CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of Chinese AFpatients had indications for statin therapy. Evidence-based statin prescribing was suboptimal in this population. Greater efforts should be made to improve a holistic approach to cardiovascular risk management in the Chinese AF population.