@Article{, title={Rate of Prescribing Statins for Primary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetic Patients}, author={Wathiq Kh. Mohammed and Sarah J. Alwash}, journal={Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal المجلة العراقية للاختصاصات الطبية}, volume={21}, number={2}, pages={226-235}, year={2022}, abstract={BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are the major contributor to morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. Dyslipidemia, a com¬mon condition coexisting with type 2 diabetes, is a major cause of atherosclerosis and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Statin therapy plays an important role in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in populations at elevated risk.OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the extent to which statins are used for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by diabetic patients, to identify gaps between guidelines and current daily practice, and to offer rational approach toward enhancing guideline adherence and improving quality of care.MATERIALS AND METHOD: A cross sectional study conducted from April 2019 to May 2020. Participants took part in a face to face personal interview in the outpatient clinic of Alsuwairah General Hospital. Patients included were those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged 40-75 years, without a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.RESULTS: We included a total of 236 patients with diabetes mellitus, more than 2 thirds of them were ≥50 years of age. The majority (64.8%) were females. Patients with type 2 diabetes constitute 97.5% of the sample. Eighty six percent of patients have had diabetes for ≥2 years. Only 35 participants (14.8%) were on statin therapy. Among statin users, 62.9% have been doing so for less than 2 years. Use of statins was slightly more frequent in women than in men and it increases consistently with age; however, statistically non-significant. There was a significant association between statin prescription and increased duration of diabetes (P value 0.010).CONCLUSION: Statin prescription for primary prevention of ASCVD in diabetic patients is suboptimal. This finding underscores a major gap in addressing public health and cardiovascular disease burden in a population considered to be at high risk, and highlights an urgent need for optimising statin therapy and global risk factor control in diabetic patients without a known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

} }