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Inleiding De onderzoekers gingen na of een poging tot staken van preventieve cardiovasculaire medicatie bij laagrisicopatienten veilig en (kosten)effectief is. Methode Aan deze clustergerandomiseerde, gecontroleerde, non-inferiority trial deden 46 huisartsenpraktijken mee. Patienten waren veertig tot zeventig jaar oud, gebruikten een antihypertensivum en/of lipideverlagende medicatie, hadden geen hart- en vaatziekten (HVZ) in de voorgeschiedenis en hadden toen ze met medicatie begonnen een laag tienjaars-HVZ-risico. De interventie betrof het aanbieden van een stoppoging door de huisarts. Uitkomstmaat was het verschil in gemiddelde stijging van het tienjaars-HVZ-risico na twee jaar tussen de interventie- en controlegroep. De non-inferiority marge was 2,5 procentpunt. De onderzoekers hebben een multilevel lineaire regressie gebruikt, met multipele imputatie voor ontbrekende waarden. Resultaten De gemiddelde leeftijd van de 1067 deelnemers was 55 jaar, 72% was vrouw en het gemiddelde tienjaars-HVZ-risico was 5%. Van de 492 deelnemers in de interventiegroep deden 319 (65%) een stoppoging; 135 deelnemers (27%) gebruikten na twee jaar nog steeds geen medicatie. Het tienjaars-HVZ-risico steeg met 2,0 procentpunt in de interventiegroep versus 1,9 procentpunt in de controlegroep, binnen de non-inferiority marge. Er was geen verschil in kwaliteit van leven of in zorgkosten. Conclusie Het staken van preventieve cardiovasculaire medicatie bij laagrisicopatienten is op korte termijn veilig, maar verbetert de kwaliteit van leven niet en vermindert de zorgkosten evenmin.

Background General practitioners (GPs) should regularly review patients’ medications and, if necessary, deprescribe, as inappropriate polypharmacy may harm patients’ health. However, deprescribing can be challenging for physicians. This study investigates GPs’ deprescribing decisions in 31 countries. Methods In this case vignette study, GPs were invited to participate in an online survey containing three clinical cases of oldest-old multimorbid patients with potentially inappropriate polypharmacy. Patients differed in terms of dependency in activities of daily living (ADL) and were presented with and without history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). For each case, we asked GPs if they would deprescribe in their usual practice. We calculated proportions of GPs who reported they would deprescribe and performed a multilevel logistic regression to examine the association between history of CVD and level of dependency on GPs’ deprescribing decisions. Results Of 3,175 invited GPs, 54% responded (N = 1,706). The mean age was 50 years and 60% of respondents were female. Despite differences across GP characteristics, such as age (with older GPs being more likely to take deprescribing decisions), and across countries, overall more than 80% of GPs reported they would deprescribe the dosage of at least one medication in oldest-old patients (> 80 years) with polypharmacy irrespective of history of CVD. The odds of deprescribing was higher in patients with a higher level of dependency in ADL (OR =1.5, 95%CI 1.25 to 1.80) and absence of CVD (OR =3.04, 95%CI 2.58 to 3.57). Interpretation The majority of GPs in this study were willing to deprescribe one or more medications in oldest-old multimorbid patients with polypharmacy. Willingness was higher in patients with increased dependency in ADL and lower in patients with CVD.

Clare H Luymes,1 Nelleke J Boelhouwer,1 Rosalinde KE Poortvliet,1 Wouter de Ruijter,1 Ria Reis,1–3 Mattijs E Numans1 1Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 3The Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa Background: Patients with low cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk potentially use preventive cardiovascular medication unnecessarily. Our aim was to identify various viewpoints and beliefs concerning the preventive CVD management of patients with low CVD risk using preventive cardiovascular medication. Furthermore, we investigated whether certain viewpoints were related to a preference for deprescription or the continuation of preventive cardiovascular medication.Methods: In 2015, we purposively sampled patients from the intervention arm of the Evaluating Cessation of STatins and Antihypertensive Treatment In primary Care (ECSTATIC) trial in the Netherlands for this study. Participants made Q-sorts by ranking 43 statements concerning preventive CVD management from “totally disagree” to “totally agree”. These Q-sorts were analyzed using PQMethod 2.35 software. A varimax procedure presented the distinguishing viewpoints that were favored by our participants. We used group discussion quotations to underline our findings. For validation purposes, we asked participants how well each viewpoint fitted them.Results: Of 291 invited patients, 33 participated. Thirty-one Q-sorts were analyzed. The following three viewpoints were found: 1) a controlling viewpoint, in which patients held the belief that monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol levels is important (n=13, of which seven had their medication deprescribed and six continued their medication); 2) an autonomous viewpoint, in which patients showed a dislike of medication (n=8, of which seven had their medication deprescribed and one had it continued); and 3) an afraid viewpoint, in which patients were fearful of developing CVD (n=8, of which two had their medication deprescribed and six had it continued). Seventy-four percent of the participants believed that the viewpoint to which they were assigned was a good fit.Conclusion: Three well-discriminating viewpoints about preventive CVD management were determined. Knowing and recognizing these viewpoints is effective for general practitioners when discussing the deprescribing of preventive cardiovascular medications with patients and may be used to promote implementation of deprescription. Keywords: general practice, preventive medicine, cardiovascular diseases, antihypertensive agents, anticholesteremic agents, inappropriate prescribing

Background: The use of preventive cardiovascular medication by patients with low cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is potentially inappropriate. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify barriers to and enablers of deprescribing potentially inappropriate preventive cardiovascular medication experienced by patients and general practitioners (GPs). Methods: A total of 10 GPs participating in the ECSTATIC trial (Evaluating Cessation of STatins and Antihypertensive Treatment In primary Care) audiotaped deprescribing consultations with low-CVD-risk patients. After initial conventional content analysis, 2 researchers separately coded all barriers to and enablers of deprescribing medication using framework analysis. We performed a within-case and cross-case analysis to explore barriers and enablers among both patients and GPs. Results: Patients (n = 49) and GPs (n = 10) expressed barriers and enablers with regard to the appropriateness of the medication and the deprescribing process. A family history for CVD was identified as a barrier to deprescribing medication for both patients and GPs. Patients feared possible consequences of deprescribing and were influenced by the opinion of their GP. Additionally, a presumed disapproving opinion from specialists influenced the GPs’ willingness to deprescribe medication. Conclusions: Patients appreciated discussing their doubts regarding deprescribing potentially inappropriate preventive cardiovascular medication. Furthermore, they acknowledged their GP’s expertise and took their opinion toward deprescribing into consideration. The GPs’ decisions to deprescribe were influenced by the low CVD risk of the patients, additional risk factors, and the alleged specialist’s opinion toward deprescribing. We recommend deprescribing consultations to be patient centered, with GPs addressing relevant themes and probable consequences of deprescribing preventive cardiovascular medication.

Background Many oldest-old (> 80-years) with multimorbidity and polypharmacy are at high risk of inappropriate use of medication, but we know little about whether and how GPs would deprescribe, especially in the frail oldest-old. We aimed to determine whether, how, and why Swiss GPs deprescribe for this population. Methods GPs took an online survey that presented case-vignettes of a frail oldest-old patient with and without history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and asked if they would deprescribe any of seven medications. We calculated percentages of GPs willing to deprescribe at least one medication in the case with CVD and compared these with the case without CVD using paired t-tests. We also included open-ended questions to capture reasons for deprescribing and asked which factors could influence their decision to deprescribe by asking for their agreement on a 5-point-Likert-scale. Results Of the 282 GPs we invited, 157 (56%) responded: 73% were men; mean age was 56. In the case-vignette without CVD, 98% of GPs deprescribed at least one medication (usually cardiovascular preventive medications) stating it had no indication nor benefit. They would lower the dose or prescribe pain medication as needed to reduce side effects. Their response was much the same when the patient had a history of CVD. GPs reported they were influenced by ‘risk’ and ‘benefit’ of medications, ‘quality of life’, and ‘life expectancy’, and prioritized the patient’s wishes and priorities when deprescribing. Conclusion Swiss GPs were willing to deprescribe cardiovascular preventive medication when it lacked indication but tended to retain pain medication. Developing tools for GPs to assist them in balancing the risks and benefits of medication in the context of patient values may improve deprescribing activities in practice. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12875-018-0856-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background The use of cardiovascular medication for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is potentially inappropriate when potential risks outweigh the potential benefits. It is unknown whether deprescribing preventive cardiovascular medication in patients without a strict indication for such medication is safe and cost-effective in general practice. Methods In this pragmatic cluster randomised controlled non-inferiority trial, we recruited 46 general practices in the Netherlands. Patients aged 40–70 years who were using antihypertensive and/or lipid-lowering drugs without CVD and with low risk of future CVD were followed for 2 years. The intervention was an attempt to deprescribe preventive cardiovascular medication. The primary outcome was the difference in the increase in predicted (10-year) CVD risk in the per-protocol (PP) population with a non-inferiority margin of 2.5 percentage points. An economic evaluation was performed in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. We used multilevel (generalised) linear regression with multiple imputation of missing data. Results Of 1067 participants recruited between 7 November 2012 and 18 February 2014, 72% were female. Overall, their mean age was 55 years and their mean predicted CVD risk at baseline was 5%. Of 492 participants in the ITT intervention group, 319 (65%) quit the medication (PP intervention group); 135 (27%) of those participants were still not taking medication after 2 years. The predicted CVD risk increased by 2.0 percentage points in the PP intervention group compared to 1.9 percentage points in the usual care group. The difference of 0.1 (95% CI -0.3 to 0.6) fell within the non-inferiority margin. After 2 years, compared to the usual care group, for the PP intervention group, systolic blood pressure was 6 mmHg higher, diastolic blood pressure was 4 mmHg higher and total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels were both 7 mg/dl higher (all P

De huisarts evalueert jaarlijks de behandeling bij patienten die bloeddruk- of cholesterolverlagende medicatie gebruiken ter primaire preventie van hart- en vaatziekten (HVZ). Deze patienten blijken nogal eens een dusdanig laag tienjaarsrisico op ziekte en sterfte door HVZ te hebben, dat zij volgens de huidige NHG-Standaard Cardiovasculair risicomanagement (CVRM) niet zouden zijn gestart met medicatie. Dit kan komen door veranderingen in hun individuele risicoprofiel, door andere afkapwaarden voor medicamenteuze behandeling in de nieuwe richtlijn, of omdat bij aanvang van de behandeling, soms jaren geleden, het cardiovasculair risico niet is berekend. ‘Never change a winning team’ zijn wij geneigd te denken, of kunnen deze laagrisicopatienten hun preventieve bloeddruk- en cholesterolverlagende medicatie toch veilig staken? En wat zijn de gevolgen van dat staken?

Essers et al. stellen dat niet elk consult dezelfde communicatievaardigheden vereist en dat generieke communicatievaardigheden niet in elk consult op dezelfde manier kunnen worden toegepast.

Background Sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis (SCCH; ORPHA178311) is a rare inflammatory disorder of the axial skeleton, the precise pathophysiology of which remains to be established. We addressed the potential association of SCCH with autoimmune processes by evaluating the lifetime prevalence of autoimmune disease in 70 patients with adult-onset SCCH and 518 SCCH-unaffected first-degree relatives (parents, siblings and children). Danish hospital registry data for autoimmune diseases were used as reference data. Results The mean age of interviewed patients was 56.3 years (range 26–80 years) and 86% were female. Interviewed patients belonged to 63 families, with four families having clusters of 2–3 patients. A diagnosis of at least one autoimmune disease was reported in 20 SCCH patients (29%) and in 47 relatives (9.1%), compared to an estimated 3.9% prevalence of autoimmune disease in the Danish reference population. A diversity of autoimmune diseases was reported in SCCH patients and relatives, most frequently psoriasis vulgaris (14%). Palmoplantar pustulosis was reported by 28 patients (40%). In SCCH patients, inclusion of palmoplantar pustulosis as putative autoimmune disease increased the overall prevalence to 54%. Conclusions The high prevalence of autoimmune disease in patients with sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis and their first-degree relatives suggests that autoimmunity may play a role in the still elusive pathophysiology of the intriguing osteogenic response to inflammation observed in this rare bone disorder.