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Many heart surgery patients do not stick to prescribed treatment

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Patients who have undergone surgery to remove cholesterol buildups from their arteries are less likely to stick to statin medication treatment plans than individuals with high cholesterol who have not had surgery, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

The researchers said that the findings are disturbing and unexpected, because individuals who have had surgery for arterial blockages are more likely to suffer from future cardiovascular problems. Since heart surgery is generally a life-changing event, they expected to see that these patients would stick to prescribed treatments closely.

However, after reviewing medical data from 13,000 older adults who were hospitalized following a heart attack or chest pain, they found that this was not the case. Only 70 percent of surgery patients fully adhered to their prescribed statin therapy, while 79 percent of non-surgery completed their treatment.

The researchers wrote in their report that failing to adhere to statin therapy could have larger economic repercussions for the society, as these individuals are more likely to end up back in the emergency room. They said that their findings underscore the need to develop new approaches to help heart surgery patients stick to their therapy.