Health, 1 in 3 patients with high cholesterol out of treatment pathway after cardiac event

Data emerges from the study carried out by Iqvia Italia for Novartis

In Italy, 36% of patients who have already faced a cardiovascular event and suffer from hypercholesterolemia do not correctly follow the prescribed therapy or periodic checks. This is what emerges from the study conducted by Iqvia Italia for Novartis, carried out on a sample of 250 hypercholesterolemic patients who have had a cardiovascular event, aimed at exploring in depth the experience of those who live in secondary prevention, returning an alarming picture made of forgetfulness, renunciations, difficulty in sharing doubts and fears with the specialist.

The research, presented in Milan during the inauguration of the installation “Da Quore a Cuore”, identified three main patient profiles: the 'proactive' (47%), more adherent and aware, often followed by a specialist in a private setting; the 'anxious' (26%), who despite having understood the seriousness of their condition, live the pathology with emotional distress and require empathetic and structured care; and finally the 'disinterested' (27%), scarcely aware and often entrusted exclusively to the general practitioner.

And it is precisely this last group that is causing the most concern: 88% of the disinterested do not follow the therapy correctly, 66% are followed only by the general practitioner and only a minority is aware of their target value of LDL cholesterol. A figure that draws attention to the fragility of the follow-up after hospital discharge and to the poor integration between local and specialist medicine.

The role of the cardiologist is confirmed as central to promoting adherence and building a sustainable and continuous therapeutic path, but new synergies with general practitioners are also needed to ensure integrated care. The challenge is to bring closer those who have distanced themselves from their treatment path, often for reasons that go well beyond the clinical aspect: according to the study, in fact, almost 40% of patients did not clearly understand the explanations received from the doctor on cardiovascular risk. It is precisely from the need to increase the value of secondary prevention that a symbolic installation was born: two misaligned hands make up an imperfect heart that recomposes itself thanks to a symbolic gesture. An invitation to rediscover the dialogue with your cardiologist, to follow a structured follow-up and to adopt a conscious lifestyle.

The heart – or rather the “Quore”, as it is represented in the campaign – thus becomes the visual symbol of a relationship to be mended: that between doctor and patient, between awareness and action, between risk and prevention. A heart to be protected every day, with small gestures capable of making the difference.