[Deprescribing statinsand other cardiovascular medications Barriers and facilitators]. / Déprescription des statines et autres médicaments cardiovasculaires. Obstacles et facilitateurs.

Considering the growing problematic of polypharmacy, this article summarizes barriers and facilitators to deprescribing cardiovascular medications, from the point of view of physicians and patients. Patients seem to be more open to discontinue cardiovascular medications when their physician suggests to do so, or if they dislike the medication. Physicians tend to consider deprescribing more if they had positive experiences with deprescribing in the past, or if their patients ask them to. The most common barrier for patients is the fear of health deterioration. Patient desire to continue with their usual medication or past negative experiences with depresecribing are frequently reported as barriers by physicians.

Vu le problème croissant de la polypharmacie, cet article résume les différents obstacles et facilitateurs à la déprescription des médicaments cardiovasculaires, du point de vue des médecins et des patients. Ces derniers sont plus enclins à stopper des médicaments cardiovasculaires lorsque cela leur est proposé par leur médecin traitant ou s'ils n'aiment pas le médicament. Les médecins arrêtent plus facilement les traitements s'ils ont déjà eu des expériences positives de déprescription et si leurs patients le leur demandent. L'obstacle le plus fréquent pour les patients est la peur d'une détérioration de leur état de santé. Pour les médecins, la volonté du patient de poursuivre le traitement, ou une expérience passée négative avec la déprescription, sont des obstacles fréquents.

Older Adult Attitudes toward Deprescribing Statins in Primary Cardiovascular Prevention Versus General Medications.

Background: There is little evidence for statins for primary cardiovascular prevention in older adults. Consequently, it is important to assess patient attitudes toward the use of statins, which might differ from attitudes toward other medications. We aimed to describe older patient attitudes toward deprescribing statins versus general medications. Methods: We conducted a survey using the revised Patients' Attitudes Toward Deprescribing questionnaire in its original version and adapted to statin use in adults ≥65 years taking a statin for primary prevention. Results: Among the 47 participants (mean age 74.6 years), 42 (89%) were satisfied with their current therapy, but still willing to stop ≥1 of their medications upon their doctor's advice. About 68% (N = 32) were satisfied with their statin therapy, while 83% (N = 39) would accept to consider deprescribing. Twenty-six (55%) participants were concerned about missing future benefits when stopping their general medications and 17 (36%) when stopping their statin. Eight (17%) participants believed they were experiencing side effects of statins and twice as many for general medication (38%, N = 18). Conclusion: Our study provides insight about differences and similarities in patient attitudes toward deprescribing general medications and statins in primary prevention. This information could support patient-centered conversations and shared-decision making about deprescribing.

Older Adult Perspectives on Statin Continuation and Discontinuation in Primary Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background and Purpose: Evidence for statin use for primary cardiovascular disease prevention in older adults is limited. When evidence on risk-benefit profile of a medication is uncertain, using it or not becomes a preference-sensitive decision. We aimed to assess and explore patient perspectives on continuation and discontinuation of statins used for primary cardiovascular prevention in older adults. Patients and Methods: We used a convergent mixed-methods design, conducting in parallel a survey among 47 patients and three focus groups (FGs) with 14 patients total. We recruited patients aged ≥65 years and taking a statin for primary cardiovascular prevention. The survey and FGs aimed to assess and explore patient experiences of statin use, and views on statin continuation and discontinuation, including patient decision-making. Quantitative and qualitative data were first analyzed separately - descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data - and then integrated to create metainferences, using joint displays. Results: Forty-one percent of patients (N=19) were reluctant to discontinue the statin, whereas 22% (N=10) were willing to try discontinuing it. A reason to continue the statin was its perceived necessity, while self-estimated low cardiovascular risk and wish to reduce medication burden were given as reasons to discontinue it. Lack of expertise assumed by the patients to decide about statin continuation or discontinuation, uncertainty about statin indication, and fear of having a cardiovascular event after discontinuation made many patients uncertain about deciding to continue or discontinue the statin. In this context, 70% (N=33) would rather have their physician choose for them, and 94% (N=44) would continue taking the statin for as long as their physician told them to do so. Conclusion: This study highlights factors that influence patient willingness to continue or discontinue statins, patient uncertainty about statin continuation or discontinuation, and the important role physicians play in the decision-making process.

Sex-specific association of cardiovascular drug doses with adverse outcomes in atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVES: Sex differences occur in atrial fibrillation (AF), including age at first manifestation, pathophysiology, treatment allocation, complication rates and quality of life. However, optimal doses of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy used in women with AF with or without heart failure (HF) are unclear. We investigated sex-specific associations of beta-blocker and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitor doses with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with AF or AF with concomitant HF. METHODS: We used data from the prospective Basel Atrial Fibrillation and Swiss Atrial Fibrillation cohorts on patients with AF. The outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including death, myocardial infarction, stroke, systemic embolisation and HF-related hospitalisation. Predictors of interest were spline (primary analysis) or quartiles (secondary analysis) of beta-blocker or RAS inhibitor dose in per cent of the maximum dose (reference), in interaction with sex. Cox models were adjusted for demographics, comorbidities and comedication. RESULTS: Among 3961 patients (28% women), MACEs occurred in 1113 (28%) patients over a 5-year median follow-up. Distributions of RAS inhibitor and beta-blocker doses were similar in women and men. Cox models revealed no association between beta-blocker dose or RAS inhibitor dose and MACE. In a subgroup of patients with AF and HF, the lowest hazard of MACE was observed in women prescribed 100% of the RAS inhibitor dose. However, there was no association between RAS dose quartiles and MACE. CONCLUSIONS: In this study of patients with AF, doses of beta-blockers and RAS inhibitors did not differ by sex and were not associated with MACE overall.