Physicians slower to incorporate newer heart drug ...( t programs like CRUSADE or develop thei...),Health

Some of the specific trends from 2002 to 2004 follow:

• Beta Blockers In hospital usage improved from 76 percent to 88 percent; outpatient usage improved from 81 percent to 89 percent
• Aspirin In-hospital rates improved from 92 percent to 97 percent; outpatient usage rose from 93 percent to 96 percent.
• Clopidogrel (a newer agent that prevents platelets from clumping) In-hospital rates rose from 36 percent to 54 percent, while outpatient usage rose from 50 percent to 72 percent.
• Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (a newer clot inhibitor used only in hospital) improved from 33 percent to 47 percent.
• Dietary modification Improved from 66 percent to 83 percent.
• Smoking cessation Improved from 59 percent to 85 percent.
• Cardiac rehabilitation improved from 37 percent to 65 percent.

DCRI researchers reported at last year's AHA meeting (will insert link) that adherence to the guidelines measured by CRUSADE is definitely linked to an improvement in outcomes. They reported that over time, mortality risks rose by 3.1 percent at hospitals whose adherence declined, while the mortality risks declined by 37 percent over the same time period among hospitals whose care patterns were most improved.

CRUSADE is coordinated by the DCRI. It is funded by Schering-Plough Corp, Kenilworth, N.J., with addition funding from the Bristol-Meyers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, NY, and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Mass. Mehta and Ohman have no financial interests in any of the sponsors.

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Contact: Richard Merritt
Merri006@mc.duke.edu
919-684-4148
Duke University Medical Center
14-Nov-2005