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Patients who follow doctors’ advice have better health outcomes, study finds

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

In a recent study, blood testing confirmed that individuals with a common heart condition who followed their doctor’s advice for self-care were at a significantly lower risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.

Researchers from the Oregon Health and Sciences University assessed the treatment of individuals with heart failure, a condition that comes with a long list of lifestyle recommendations intended to help patients improve their cardiovascular health.

The team took a number of blood tests from patients with the condition and asked them if they were following their doctors advice for disease management. The results showed that those who closely adhered to their doctor’s recommendations had fewer biomarkers of cardiovascular stress and inflammation. This put them at a lower risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

The findings underscore the importance for doctors of making sure their heart failure patients understand all the steps they should take to protect their health, the researchers said. This could lead to significant improvements in treatment quality, as self-care has been linked to better outcomes.