Publication Date

1-1-2021

Journal

Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes

DOI

10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.120.006548

PMID

33435730

PMCID

PMC7855929

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

1-13-2022

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Author MSS

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Aged, Atherosclerosis, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Male, Middle Aged, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular prevention guidelines use estimated 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk based on the pooled cohort equations to guide treatment decisions and engage patients in shared decision-making. We sought to determine patient perceived versus actual risk of atherosclerotic CVD and associations with willingness for preventive therapy.

METHODS: We evaluated calculated and perceived CVD risk among 4187 patients across 124 sites in the Patient and Provider Assessment of Lipid Management Registry. Ten-year risk was assessed using the pooled cohort equations; risk relative-to-peers was determined based on age-, sex-, and race-based percentiles; and patient estimates of risk were assessed using patient surveys. Poisson regression models evaluated associations between risk estimates, statin use, and willingness to take prevention therapy.

RESULTS: Overall, there was no correlation between patients' estimates of their 10-year CVD risk and calculated 10-year risk (ρ=-0.01,

CONCLUSIONS: When asked, most patients overestimate their 10-year risk but hold an optimistic bias of their risk relative to age-, race-, and sex-matched peers. Providing accurate absolute risk assessments to patients without proper context may paradoxically decrease many patients' perceived risk of CVD, thereby disincentivizing initiation of CVD risk reduction therapy.

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