Utilizing existing test results to improve primary prevention in patients with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis: The USE-IT study

This research study was performed to assess whether a specialized, dedicated cardiovascular prevention clinic could help lower the levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL-C) and improve the management of other cardiovascular risk factors in people who, despite feeling well, already have fatty plaques building up in their heart's arteries. Such men and women are at increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, however, so far they had received very limited attention in prevention clinics and primary care settings, particularly when those plaques are identified incidentally. Reducing their levels of bad cholesterol can be very helpful reducing their risk of a subsequent heart attack. Specifically, at twelve months, we observed:• Large reductions in the levels of bad cholesterol compared to the levels that those same patients had at the beginning of follow-up (i.e., before being referred to the prevention clinic), paired with enhanced use of guideline-recommended lipid-lowering pharmacological therapies.• A reduction in the prevalence of active smoking, and a modest but promising reduction in the average weight of the cohort.The results of the "USE-IT" Study are expected to inform the development of similar clinics across Spain (the country where the study was conducted) and elsewhere.