The topic we learned this week is “Use of secondary prevention drugs for cardiovascular disease in the community in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries (the PURE Study): a prospective epidemiological survey.” Although most cardiovascular disease occurs in low-income and middle-income countries, little is known about the use of effective secondary prevention medications in these communities. Therefore, it is meaningful to conduct this research.

     This research used the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE) method and recruited individuals aged 35–70 years from rural and urban communities in countries at various stages of economic development. The researchers through telephone interviews, household visits, or on patient’s presentation to clinics to complete the questionnaires between January, 2003, and December, 2009.

     As a result, effective secondary preventive drugs (antiplatelet drugs, β blockers, angiotensin-converting-enzyme [ACE] inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers [ARBs], and statins) use was highest in high-income countries and lowest in low-income countries and decreased in line with reduction of country economic status. Drugs use with greatest variation in poorest countries. Country-level factors affected rates of drug use more than did individual-level factors. Therefore, we need to   improve the long-term use of basic, inexpensive, and effective drugs in low-income countries and rural areas.

                                                                                        (Li Cuicui)