June 1, 2023
According to the National Committee for Quality Assurance, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. People with diabetes also have elevated cardiovascular risk, thought to be due, in part, to elevations in unhealthy cholesterol levels. This places people with diabetes at significant risk for developing Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD).
American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines state that statins of moderate or high intensity are recommended for adults with established clinical ASCVD. The American Diabetes Association and ACC/AHA guidelines also recommend statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes, based on age and other risk factors. Guidelines also state that adherence to statins will aid in ASCVD risk reduction in both populations.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has two measures in Medicare Star Ratings to emphasize the importance of statin therapy. To learn more about these measures, refer our tip sheet:
Statin Therapy for Patients with Cardiovascular Disease (SPC)
Statin Use in Persons with Diabetes (SUPD)
To learn more about statin therapy for non-Medicare members:
Statin Therapy for Patients with Cardiovascular Disease (SPC)
Statin Therapy for Patients with Diabetes (SPD)
For more information, contact ProviderClinicalConsulting@Premera.com.
Source: Statin Therapy for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes - NCQA