OBJECTIVETo observe the real world statins use for secondary prevention in patients with high risk coronary heart disease (CHD) in China.

METHODSSixty-four hospitals across 31 provinces of China including 32 secondary hospitals and 32 tertiary hospitals were selected for baseline survey. Fifty consecutive outpatients with established history of acute coronary syndrome were recruited in each hospital. Information of these patients including statins use was collected.

RESULTSA total of 2516 high risk CHD outpatients were involved in present report. Mean age of the patients was (65 ± 10) years and 69.4% patients were male. Fifty-seven point nine percent patients were treated with a statin at the time of interview and recommended low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) target was achieved in 29.8% patients. Percent of statin use and achieving LDL-C goal was significantly higher in male outpatients than in female outpatients. Outpatients admitted in tertiary hospitals were more likely to have achieved their LDL-C targets than those admitted in secondary hospitals. Statin use was more often for patients in South China than patients in North China. The percentage reaching the optimal LDL-C treatment target was the highest in Central China (38.5%) and the lowest in Northeast China (18.5%). At this interview, 68.2% outpatients were prescribed statins and 24.1% prescribed doses of statins were sub-minimal.

CONCLUSIONThere was a gap between real world statin use and guideline recommendations for secondary prevention in high risk CHD patients in China.