Prescribing Patterns of Anttlipemic Drugs and Prevalence of Hypercholesterolemia in the Nova Scotia Population More than 65 Years Old

Abstract

Objective: To examine the prevalence of antilipemic drug use, demographic characteristics of patients using these drugs, and the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in the Nova Scotia population over 65 years of age. Design: Information was collected on the prescribing of antilipemic drugs using Nova Scotia Medical Services Insurance Pharmacare program data from October 1991 through March 1992. Pharmacare data were compared with prevalence data on increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations obtained from the Nova Scotia Heart Health Survey (NSHHS). Setting: Pharmacare is a centrally administered drug insurance system maintained in computerized claims files since 1974. It provides prescription drugs to all residents of Nova Scotia who are at least 65 years old and who are insured under the provincial Medicare program. Participants: In the 1991–1992 fiscal year, 47 000 men and 65 700 women were eligible for Pharmacare. The NSHHS was administered to a probability sample of 2108 individuals, representative of the 1986 population aged 18–74 years. Main Outcome Measures: Prescriptions for antilipemic agents. Results: The NSHHS data indicated that 3.7% of women and 2.3% of men at least 65 years old and 4.8% of women and 2.8% of men 65–74 years old received a prescription for antilipemics. Approximately 10% of men and approximately 16% of women aged 65–74 years had LDL cholesterol concentrations in excess of 4.9 mmol/L. Conclusions: Elderly women received antilipemic drugs more frequently than did elderly men. The proportion of Nova Scotia's senior population using antilipemic drugs was less than the proportion with increased serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol concentrations. More specific studies need to assess the use of antilipemic drugs in relation to patients' risk factors for cardiovascular disease, patient adherence with antilipemic drug therapy, and the effectiveness of antilipemic drugs.