Statins can help reduce cholesterol

Researchers in Scotland say many are at risk of having a heart attack because doctors are not doing enough to keep their cholesterol levels under control.

In many cases, patients are not receiving the necessary drugs or are not being offered regular check-ups.

Speaking at a medical conference in Dublin, the researchers urged GPs to make improvements.

Regular checks

Dr Adrian Brady, a consultant cardiologist at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, examined the medical records of 80,000 patients with coronary heart disease.

He found that just half of patients had healthy cholesterol levels.

We have taken amazing steps forward - the situation could improve further if practice nurses are trained and empowered to do much of this work Jan Procter-King, Primary Care Cardiovascular Society

Just one in three had their cholesterol levels checked within three months of starting drug treatment.

Of those who were tested, less than half had seen their cholesterol levels improve.

The researchers said that the findings suggested that many of these patients were at risk of having a heart attack.

Dr Brady also surveyed 220 GPs. He found that many GPs have misconceptions about the medical care they give to patients with heart disease.

GPs believe that 80% of their patients have healthy levels of cholesterol.

The survey revealed that many GPs fail to give proper care to patients because of concerns over cost and a lack of time.

Two out of three GPs said treating patients with high cholesterol is time consuming and half said they don't have the time to identify and review those patients at risk of having a heart attack.

Two out of three said they were concerned about the costs associated with giving these patients higher doses of drugs or changing their medication.

Better care

But Dr Brady said that unless GPs improved the way they cared for these patients, then death rates would continue to be much higher than in other parts of Europe and the United States.

"To improve this country's poor performance on coronary heart disease management and put us on a par with our European and American counterparts, we need to better manage our patients," he told the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society's annual meeting in Dublin.

Around 120,000 people die from heart disease in the UK each year. The government published a national service framework which aims to improve the care provided to patients with heart disease.

It recommends that patients with high cholesterol should be given drugs called statins to help reduce their levels.

Jan Procter-King, a specialist cardiac nurse in Leeds and a senior member of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, said the situation in general practice had improved in recent years.

"I think we have taken amazing steps forward," she told BBC News Online.

"The situation could improve further if practice nurses are trained and empowered to do much of this work.

"They are the ones who can do the routine management of these patients.

"GPs don't have the time for this work and shouldn't be squandering precious medical time doing it."