Objective: To evaluate statin use in the U.S. before and after the 2015 American Diabetes Association position statement, which expanded statin therapy recommendations to include all adults 40-75 years old with diabetes.
Research design and methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was used to obtain a representative sample. The difference-in-differences technique determined the impact of the recommendation on the proportion of people with diabetes for whom statin therapy was newly recommended.
Results: Among people with diabetes, the change in statin use in people without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk factors, controlling for change among people with ASCVD/risk factors, was 6.6% (P = 0.388). In the adjusted analysis, overt ASCVD, age, Black race, health insurance, a place for routine care, and total cholesterol were significantly associated with statin use (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: The most recent change in statin recommendations had minimal impact on the proportion of patients receiving a statin.
© 2020 by the American Diabetes Association.