Prevalence of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease Among Baltimore City Adults in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span (HANDLS) Study

Objective: Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) has been shown to improve outcomes for people with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our goal was to assess racial and socioeconomic differences in GDMT use among a diverse population. Methods: We examined the cross-sectional association of race and poverty status with GDMT among 441 participants with CVD in a longitudinal cohort of urban-dwelling Black and White adults in Baltimore City, Maryland, using multivariable logistic regression. CVD status and GDMT were self-reported. Results: The participants’ mean age was 60.5 (SD 8.5) years, with 61.7% women, 64.4% Black, and 46.9% living below poverty. Of the 126 participants with coronary artery disease (CAD), 37.3%, 54.8%, and 62.7% were on aspirin, antiplatelets, and statins, respectively. Black participants with CAD were less likely to be on aspirin, OR 0.29 (95% CI 0.13–0.67), and on combination GDMT (antiplatelet and statin), OR 0.36 (0.16–0.78) compared to Whites. There were no differences by poverty status in GDMT for CAD. Fully, 222 participants reported atrial fibrillation (AF), but only 10.5% were on anticoagulation with no significant difference by race or poverty status. The use of GDMT for heart failure and stroke was also low overall, but there were no differences by race or poverty status. Conclusions: Among an urban-dwelling population of adults, the use of secondary prevention of CVD was low, with lower aspirin and combination GDMT for Black participants with CAD. Efforts to improve GDMT use at the patient and provider levels may be needed to improve morbidity and mortality and reduce disparities in CVD.