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Nurse-coordinated care improves the achievement of LDL cholesterol targets through more intensive medication titration

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BACKGROUND: Nurse-coordinated care (NCC) improves the achievement of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) targets after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We hypothesised that NCC improves achievement of LDL-C targets through more intensive medication titration. METHODS: We used data from Randomised Evaluation of Secondary Prevention by Outpatient Nurse Specialists (RESPONSE), a multicentre randomised trial on the efficacy of NCC in 754 ACS patients. Follow-up data were collected at 6 and 12 months. To enable comparison between the various types and dosages of statins, we used the average lipid-lowering potency (ALLP, % LDL-C lowering) as an indicator of lipid-lowering medication intensity. RESULTS: Most patients in NCC intervention and usual care groups (96%) had started lipid-lowering therapy during the index hospitalisation. At 6 months, titration activities (up or down) were applied in 45% of NCC patients compared with 24% of patients receiving usual care (p<0.001), and a difference was also seen at 12 months follow-up (52% vs 34%, p<0.001). In patients not on LDL-C target at baseline, titration activities at 6 months were recorded in 63% and 30% of NCC and usual care patients respectively (p<0.001), with increased titration activities in both groups at 12 months (69% vs 43%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: NCC is associated with more frequent and intense lipid-lowering medication titration to reach LDL-C targets as compared with usual care alone. Further, merely starting the guideline-recommended dose is insufficient to reach the guideline-recommended LDL-C target level. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: TC1290 (Netherlands).

Reference Snaterse, M., Jorstad, H. T., Heiligenberg, M., Ter Riet, G., Boekholdt, S. M., Scholte Op Reimer, W., & Peters, R. J. (2017). Nurse-coordinated care improves the achievement of LDL cholesterol targets through more intensive medication titration. Open Heart, 4(2), e000607. https://doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2017-000607
1 January 2017

Publication date

Jan 2017

Author(s)

Marjolein Snaterse
Harald T Jorstad
Gerben Ter Riet
S Matthijs Boekholdt
Wilma Scholte Op Reimer
Ron J Peters

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