What does a long article mean? In the live version of the Geriatric Medicine Journal Club held at the University of Toronto, the first 45 minutes of the hour is devoted to the presentation and discussion of the article. The study chosen for the long article discussion is:
Kutner JS, Blatchford PJ, Taylor DH Jr, Ritchie CS, Bull JH, Fairclough DL, Hanson LC, LeBlanc TW, Samsa GP, Wolf S, Aziz NM, Currow DC, Ferrell B, Wagner-Johnston N, Zafar SY, Cleary JF, Dev S, Goode PS15, Kamal AH, Kassner C, Kvale EA, McCallum JG17, Ogunseitan AB, Pantilat SZ, Portenoy RK, Prince-Paul M, Sloan JA, Swetz KM23, Von Gunten CF, Abernethy AP. Safety and benefit of discontinuing statin therapy in the setting of advanced, life-limiting illness: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2015 May;175(5):691-700.
This article is a great example of a trial which will inform evidence-based de-prescribing, a much needed area in an era of increasing numbers of clinical practice guidelines which concentrate usually on the opposite.
Given the nature of the topic, we would like to extend a formal invitation to #hpm to weigh in on the discussion!
This article here and the abstract can be found below:
IMPORTANCE:
For patients with limited prognosis, some medication risks may outweigh the benefits, particularly when benefits take years to accrue; statins are one example. Data are lacking regarding the risks and benefits of discontinuing statin therapy for patients with limited life expectancy.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the safety, clinical, and cost impact of discontinuing statin medications for patients in the palliative care setting.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:
This was a multicenter, parallel-group, unblinded, pragmatic clinical trial. Eligibility included adults with an estimated life expectancy of between 1 month and 1 year, statin therapy for 3 months or more for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, recent deterioration in functional status, and no recent active cardiovascular disease. Participants were randomized to either discontinue or continue statin therapy and were monitored monthly for up to 1 year. The study was conducted from June 3, 2011, to May 2, 2013. All analyses were performed using an intent-to-treat approach.
INTERVENTIONS:
Statin therapy was withdrawn from eligible patients who were randomized to the discontinuation group. Patients in the continuation group continued to receive statins.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:
Outcomes included death within 60 days (primary outcome), survival, cardiovascular events, performance status, quality of life (QOL), symptoms, number of nonstatin medications, and cost savings.
RESULTS:
A total of 381 patients were enrolled; 189 of these were randomized to discontinue statins, and 192 were randomized to continue therapy. Mean (SD) age was 74.1 (11.6) years, 22.0% of the participants were cognitively impaired, and 48.8% had cancer. The proportion of participants in the discontinuation vs continuation groups who died within 60 days was not significantly different (23.8% vs 20.3%; 90% CI, -3.5% to 10.5%; P=.36) and did not meet the noninferiority end point. Total QOL was better for the group discontinuing statin therapy (mean McGill QOL score, 7.11 vs 6.85; P=.04). Few participants experienced cardiovascular events (13 in the discontinuation group vs 11 in the continuation group). Mean cost savings were $3.37 per day and $716 per patient.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:
This pragmatic trial suggests that stopping statin medication therapy is safe and may be associated with benefits including improved QOL, use of fewer nonstatin medications, and a corresponding reduction in medication costs. Thoughtful patient-provider discussions regarding the uncertain benefit and potential decrement in QOL associated with statin continuation in this setting are warranted.
Did you know that the live version of #GeriMedJC runs for an hour and is broadcast to several different hospitals in four different cities via the Ontario Telemedicine Network?
Toronto: Mount Sinai Hospital, Sunnybrook Hospital, St. Michael’s Hospital, Baycrest Hospital, North York General Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital
Mississauga: Trillium Hospital
Kitchener-Waterloo: Grand River Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital
Orillia: Soldier's Memorial Hospital
Can't join us live? No worries! Engage in the discussion on Twitter on July 31, 2015 at 08:00 EDT / 12:00 GMT and don't forget to use the hashtag #GeriMedJC.
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