31-03-2010
Giovanni Corrao, PhD1; Valentino Conti, MSc1,2; Luca Merlino, MD3; Alberico L. Catapano, PhD4; and Giuseppe Mancia, MD, PhD5
1Department of Statistics, Unit of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy;
2Regional Centre for Pharmacovigilance, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy;
3Operative Unit of Territorial Health Services, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy;
4Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoutilization, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; and
5Department of Clinical and Preventive Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
ABSTRACT
Background: Previous studies have reported that statin use was associated with reductions in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among patients with dyslipidemia, even without established cardiovascular disease. However, inadequate adherence may reduce statins’ protective effects.
Objective: The aim of this work was to investigate whether an association exists between statin adherence when used as primary prevention and risk of subsequent ischemic heart disease (IHD).
