Use of Statins in Kidney Transplant Recipients in Norway
2022
Marit Rønning | Vidar Hjellvik | Solveig Sakshaug | Hege Salvesen Blix | Karsten Midtvedt | Anna Varberg Reisæter | Hallvard Holdaas | Anders Åsberg
Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) experience increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Guidelines recommend HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) therapy when tolerated. We aimed to study changes in the prescription of statins and patients&rsquo: adherence to treatment over time. A population-based observational study utilizing linked data from the Norwegian Renal Registry (national coverage of 99.9%) and the Norwegian Prescription Database was performed. Data from a total of 2250 first KTRs were included (mean age&mdash:54 years, 69% men). Dispensed prescriptions of statins and immunosuppressants for the period 2004&ndash:2016 for all first KTRs engrafted in the period 2005&ndash:2015 were analyzed. Seventy-two percent received statins the first year after kidney transplantation and the proportion increased with age. The proportion receiving a statin varied according to the time frame of transplantation (77% in 2005&ndash:2010 vs. 66% in 2012&ndash:2015). Among new users of statins, 82% of the patients were adherent both the second and third year after kidney transplantation, while the corresponding figure for those already receiving statins before transplantation was 97%. Statin continuation rates in KTRs were high. In conclusion, our findings show a slightly lower overall proportion of patients receiving statins after kidney transplants than the national target level of 80%. The proportion of statin users increased with the age of the KTRs but showed a decreasing trend as time progressed.
Show more [+] Less [-]Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute