Overview of Therapeutic Inertia in the Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Type 2 Diabetic Patients Followed in Internal Medicine at the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital Center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes is a major public health problem due to its prevalence and its multiple complications, particularly cardiovascular ones, with dyslipidemia being one of the major determinants. The aim of this study was to assess therapeutic inertia (TI) in the treatment of dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes in Burkina Faso. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Internal Medicine Department of the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital Center (CHU-YO) in Ouagadougou, from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2024. The records of patients aged 40 to 74 with a lipid profile indicating a need for lipid-lowering treatment based on LDL cholesterol were included. Results: A total of 220 diabetic patients were included. The frequency of therapeutic inertia was 85%, and therapeutic inertia was present in 72.2% of consultations where initiation or intensification of lipid-lowering therapy was indicated. The main forms of TI were non-initiation (69.52%) and lack of therapeutic intensification (30.48%). Higher education level and married status were factors significantly associated with therapeutic inertia. Conclusion: Our study highlights insufficient therapeutic management of dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. These findings underscore the urgent need to implement clinical reminder systems to prompt the initiation of statin therapy when LDL-C targets are not met, particularly in resource-limited settings.