Cross-sectional analysis of educational inequalities in primary prevention statin use in UK Biobank
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Identify whether participants with lower education are less likely to report taking statins for primary cardiovascular prevention than those with higher education, but an equivalent increase in underlying cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Using data from a large prospective cohort study, UK Biobank, we calculated a QRISK3 cardiovascular risk score for 472 097 eligible participants with complete data on self-reported educational attainment and statin use (55% female participants; mean age 56 years). We used logistic regression to explore the association between (i) QRISK3 score and (ii) educational attainment on self-reported statin use. We then stratified the association between QRISK3 score and statin use, by educational attainment to test for interactions. RESULTS: There was evidence of an interaction between QRISK3 score and educational attainment. Per unit increase in QRISK3 score, more educated individuals were more likely to report taking statins. In women with ≤7 years of schooling, a one unit increase in QRISK3 score was associated with a 7% higher odds of statin use (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.07). In women with ≥20 years of schooling, a one unit increase in QRISK3 score was associated with an 14% higher odds of statin use (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.15). Comparable ORs in men were 1.04 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.05) for ≤7 years of schooling and 1.08 (95% CI 1.08, 1.08) for ≥20 years of schooling. CONCLUSION: Per unit increase in QRISK3 score, individuals with lower educational attainment were less likely to report using statins, likely contributing to health inequalities.
Source: Heart
Institutions: University of Bristol, MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, National Health Service, St George's Hospital, St George's, University of London, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College London, NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Awards: Reproductive and cardio-metabolic health, Research Excellence (round 3), G1653514516, G1801186217, G2452660645, G2538597952, G2628120876, G3233549029, Informing educational interventions using genome-wide data: causal evidence from 573,586 participants of eight cohort studies, G5260012927, G5470336846, G5607908600, G571894948, G5850737185, Mendelian randomization to hypothesis-free causal inference, G7194418384, G7227888905, G780909024, Mediation analysis in life course epidemiology: methodological innovation and application to studies of obesity and cardiometabolic health, G7990456425, G8201869620, G8502142660, G8592617908
OpenAlex ID: W3186034872