Table 4.
Physician Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior Regarding Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Reductions for Peripheral Arterial Disease Patients According to Physician Specialty (N = 702)*
| Internal Medicine (N = 134) | Family Practice (N = 143) | Cardiology (N = 161) | Vascular Surgery (N = 264) | Overall P Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current behavior | |||||
| Percentage of physicians reporting that they almost always | |||||
| Prescribe antiplatelet therapy | 45.5c | 41.3c | 74.8d | 52.5c | <.001 |
| Recommend aerobic exercise | 43.9c,d | 40.6e,d | 61.4c | 60.2c | <.001 |
| Prescribe a supervised exercise program | 3.8c | 2.8c | 6.3c | 4.6c | .513 |
| Advise smoking cessation | 88.6c | 87.4c | 93.7c,e | 97.0d,e | <.001 |
| Average LDL level (mg/dL) ±SD at which | |||||
| Cholesterol-lowering diet is prescribed | 132.2 ± 22.3c,d | 135.1 ± 21.5c | 124.9 ± 22.1d | 144.1 ± 40.0c | <.001 |
| Cholesterol-lowering drug is prescribed | 138.7 ± 24.0c | 141.6 ± 23.8c | 123.0 ± 21.8d | 148.1 ± 44.0c | <.001 |
| Physicians' knowledge and attitudes | |||||
| Percentage of physicians reporting that the following interventions have a “large effect” on the risk of future cardiovascular events | |||||
| Antiplatelet therapy | 28.4c | 25.2c | 32.3c | 14.4d | <.001 |
| Aerobic exercise | 29.9c | 23.1c,e | 16.3c,d | 15.6c,e | .004 |
| Supervised exercise program | 18.1c | 14.8c | 4.4d | 9.0c,d | <.001 |
| Smoking cessation | 81.3c | 81.1c | 80.1c | 75.8c | .454 |
| Lowering cholesterol | 46.3c,d | 42.7c | 62.1d | 16.8e | <.001 |
| Percentage of physicians who report they are completely familiar with NCEP guidelines regarding | |||||
| LDL cholesterol level at which cholesterol-lowering diet should be initiated | 27.3c | 22.3c | 45.6d | 3.1e | <.001 |
| LDL cholesterol level at which cholesterol-lowering drug should be initiated | 30.5c | 22.4c | 49.4d | 2.7e | <.001 |
| Physician-reported | |||||
| Percentage of similar PAD patients who will experience a cardiovascular event in the next 5 years | 51.6c | 51.3c,d | 44.8c,d | 44.5d | <.001 |
| Ideal LDL level, mg/dL ±SD | 109.9 ± 16.5c | 110.6 ± 19.2c | 102.4 ± 14.2d | 120.4 ± 39.0c | <.001 |
*
Only includes physicians who received the survey describing a patient with peripheral arterial disease. Values with the same lettered superscripts (i.e., c,d,e) in a given row are not statistically significantly different from each other (Bonferroni-adjusted P < .002 within each behavior, knowledge, and attitude).
LDL, low-density lipoprotein; NCEP, National Cholesterol Education Program.