August 30, 2023
A recent New England Journal of Medicine article calls attention to racial and gender disparities in the use of statins—cholesterol-lowering drugs—for preventing and treating heart disease. Their analysis concludes that non-Hispanic white men are more likely to receive statin therapy for diagnosed cardiovascular disease than nonwhite and nonmale patients. The same holds true in terms of both primary and secondary prevention. According to the NIH and AHA, approximately 82.6 million people in the United States have at least one kind of cardiovascular disease. Statins reduce risk for heart disease by lowering cholesterol in the blood, preventing build-up in the arteries that might otherwise lead to heart attack or stroke. Using statins can be integral in preventing mortality for those experiencing or at risk for cardiovascular disease—given statins' immense impact on patient outcome, it is crucial that patients of all backgrounds have equal access to this kind of medication.
These disparities must be addressed. Treatment is not a one dimensional process. It begins with education, so that a patient can be informed about their conditions, impact of lifestyle choices, and what care options are available to them. Mytonomy’s Hyperlipidemia Patient Education provides patients the tools they need to inform shared decision making:
- How to make sense of cholesterol levels and how they impact health
- Understanding risk factors and how to reduce risk
- Exploring treatment options, including the use of statins.
Mytonomy removes barriers of transportation, the toll of keeping track of paper documents, and misunderstood medical jargon by using plain language in a digital format, meaning patients can access their education anywhere, anytime.
We know that Mytonomy’s approach to patient education results in high levels of engagement for patients of all backgrounds. Mytonomy has a history of driving viewership in nonwhite populations. In a study with Duke Health, Medstar Georgetown, and Columbia University Medical Center focused specifically on cardiometabolic content, black patients watched videos at twice the rate of non-Hispanic white patients—in other words, Mytonomy works as well in practice as it does in theory. These patients put their education into action, with the study also showing improved hemoglobin A1C testing, increased patient activation, and reduced patient anxiety. To address the disparities in the demographics of those receiving statin therapy, and to address patient education disparities for all conditions and aspects of healthcare, leverage Mytonomy’s expert solution.
