Association of medical visit frequency with cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with dyslipidaemia: a cohort study using a Japanese claims database

Abstract

Abstract Background Dyslipidaemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; however, the optimal frequency of medical visits remains unclear. Objective To examine whether medical visit frequency is associated with the incidence of cardiac events, cerebrovascular events, and mortality among patients initiating lipid-lowering therapy. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Shizuoka Kokuho Database between April 1, 2012, and September 30, 2021. Patients initiating lipid-lowering therapy were classified into high-frequency (≥ 22 visits in 2 years) and low-frequency (8–12 visits in 2 years) groups. After 1:3 propensity score matching and exclusion of patients with events within 2 years, 1,435 patients in the low-frequency group and 4,412 in the high-frequency group were analysed. Results Over a mean follow-up of 5.3 years, composite outcomes occurred in 5.6% of both groups (hazard ratio [HR] 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84–1.38; p = 0.571). No significant differences were observed for cardiac events (HR 1.13; 95% CI 0.83–1.54), cerebrovascular events (HR 1.13; 95% CI 0.67–1.90), or mortality (HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.60–1.48). Conclusion Less frequent visits were not associated with increased risks of cardiovascular events or mortality. Extending visit intervals may therefore be a reasonable option for selected stable patients receiving lipid-lowering therapy for primary prevention.