| Description |
At the twenty-seventh Bethesda Conference sponsored by the American College of Cardiology in September, 1995, a set of guidelines for treating the major risk factors for coronary heart disease was established. This study evaluated the level of treatment of 63 heart disease patients in the state of Utah according to these guidelines. A new questionnaire was developed and sent to patients with coronary heart disease. The results of the survey indicate a significant improvement in risk factor management over several previous studies. The following rates of control were observed among the major treatable risk factors: smoking 87%, total cholesterol 64%, LDL cholesterol 43%, HDL cholesterol 62%, triglycerides 60%, physical activity 79%, weight management 54%, antiplatelet agents/anticoagulants 65%, blood pressure systolic 86% and diastolic 88%, and estrogen replacement therapy for women 100%. These results indicate an improving overall rate of treatment for coronary heart disease. However, it also highlights some of the continuing difficulties experienced. For example, less than half of coronary heart disease patients have controlled LDL cholesterol levels despite its status as one of the leading risk factors. The study also addressed the reasons why patients do not always receive the level of treatment they require. The difficulty of following a cholesterol lowering diet was the most common problem mentioned by patients in managing their cholesterol levels, followed by lack of knowledge of proper diet, and the cost of cholesterol lowering medications. The study also showed no significant association between a patient's risk level and treatment level. However, a significant association was seen between the importance placed upon controlling risk factors by physicians and the actual treatment level. Other results show that patients are more interested in their treatment than their physicians and that patients generally feel they understand how to follow their treatment, but that the treatments |
