Use of statins for preventing a first stroke or heart problem due to clogged blood vessels is low across the board among at-risk U.S. adults but lowest in Blacks and Hispanics, survey results show.
In a nationally representative sample of people with risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and obesity, statin use was reported by 29.9% of whites, 15.4% of Hispanics and 20.0% of Blacks, researchers found.
In the highest-risk participants – those with a 20% or higher risk of a cardiovascular event during the next 10 years – statins were being used by 37.6% of whites, 23.9% of Hispanics, and 23.8% of Blacks, according to a report in JAMA Cardiology.
Use of statins by people of Asian descent was similar to that of whites, the authors said.
The researchers reviewed data collected between 2013 and 2020 from 3,417 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Statins taken for high cholesterol, such as Lipitor and Crestor and generics, are among the world’s most widely prescribed drugs.
Reasons for the disparities likely include structural and interpersonal racism impacting healthcare system biases, neighborhood deprivation and pharmacy access, and insurance access and drug costs, said study leader Joshua Jacobs of the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City.
“Also, trust (of healthcare and pharmaceuticals) may be playing a large role given the historical atrocities in medical research experienced by people of color,” Jacobs added.
“Patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease – especially Black and Hispanic adults – should talk to their health care providers about the potential for statin use,” Jacobs said.
Read more about health disparities on Reuters.com
This newsletter was edited by Bill Berkrot. Additional reporting by Shawana Alleyne-Morris.
