Table 2.
Patients' Experiences and Beliefs Regarding Cholesterol Management
| Characteristic | Taking Cholesterol-lowering Drug, % | View Cholesterol Lowering as “Very Important,”% | Aware of Personal Cholesterol Level, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| All patients | 62.5 | 87.1 | 42.5 |
| Age, y | |||
| <50 | 69.4 | 88.0 | 45.4 |
| 50–54 | 61.4 | 89.5 | 41.8 |
| 55–59 | 57.8 | 83.2 | 39.1 |
| 60–64 | 60.8 | 87.4 | 43.2 |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 62.8 | 86.8 | 44.7 |
| Female | 61.8 | 87.8 | 37.3 |
| Region of residence | |||
| Northeast | 62.7 | 88.0 | 43.3 |
| South | 63.4 | 83.9 | 39.3 |
| Midwest | 60.6 | 90.9 | 42.4 |
| West | 58.8 | 79.4 | 41.2 |
| Race/ethnicity | * | ‡ | |
| White | 64.4 | 87.1 | 44.9 |
| African American | 46.3 | 88.9 | 18.5 |
| Other | 60.2 | 85.5 | 42.2 |
| Household income | ‡ | ||
| <$25,000 | 58.9 | 82.3 | 26.6 |
| $25,000–$49,999 | 62.6 | 86.9 | 43.7 |
| ≥$50,000 | 69.1 | 89.4 | 56.8 |
| Missing | 53.9 | 87.7 | 30.0 |
| Education | † | ‡ | |
| Not high school gradute | 55.1 | 88.5 | 25.6 |
| High school gradute | 60.2 | 87.6 | 39.5 |
| College graduate | 71.6 | 85.8 | 58.6 |
| Marital status | * | ||
| Married | 62.9 | 87.8 | 44.8 |
| Not married | 61.1 | 84.6 | 34.2 |
| Employment status | † | ||
| Employed | 64.3 | 89.0 | 46.7 |
| Not employed | 59.5 | 84.1 | 35.4 |
| Current smoker | † | ||
| Yes | 60.3 | 81.9 | 29.3 |
| No | 62.9 | 88.1 | 45.2 |
| Overall health | |||
| Excellent/very good | 64.6 | 90.9 | 47.4 |
| Good | 63.3 | 85.1 | 43.6 |
| Fair or poor | 59.1 | 85.9 | 35.9 |
| Coronary revascularization procedure within 3 mo after MI | † | ||
| Yes | 66.0 | 90.9 | 41.0 |
| No | 59.4 | 83.7 | 43.9 |
| Ambulatory cardiology visit within 6 mo after MI | † | * | |
| Yes | 66.0 | 88.9 | 44.0 |
| No | 50.3 | 80.6 | 37.4 |
| Comorbid conditions | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | ‡ | ||
| Present | 63.5 | 83.2 | 30.3 |
| Absent | 62.2 | 88.4 | 46.7 |
| Hypertension | † | ||
| Present | 63.8 | 86.2 | 34.9 |
| Absent | 61.9 | 87.5 | 46.0 |
| Congestive heart failure | * | * | * |
| Present | 54.3 | 81.5 | 34.6 |
| Absent | 65.0 | 88.8 | 44.9 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | * | ‡ | |
| Present | 48.4 | 85.9 | 20.3 |
| Absent | 63.9 | 87.2 | 44.8 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | ‡ | ||
| Present | 60.3 | 87.9 | 20.7 |
| Absent | 62.7 | 87.0 | 44.5 |
| Depression | |||
| Present | 54.8 | 86.3 | 36.3 |
| Absent | 64.2 | 87.2 | 43.9 |
*
P ≤ .05.
†
P ≤ .01.
‡
P ≤ .011.
MI, myocardial infarction.