@article {CarterA70, author = {Alice Carter and Dipender Gill and Richard Morris and George Davey Smith and Amy Taylor and Neil Davies and Laura Howe}, title = {P62 Educational inequalities in statin treatment: cross-sectional analysis of UK biobank}, volume = {75}, number = {Suppl 1}, pages = {A70--A70}, year = {2021}, doi = {10.1136/jech-2021-SSMabstracts.150}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {Background Despite reductions in the rates of cardiovascular disease in high income countries, individuals who are the most socioeconomically deprived remain at the highest risk of disease. Although intermediate lifestyle and behavioural risk factors explain some of this, much of the effect remains unexplained. It is not known whether differences in risk adjusted use of statins between educational groups may contribute to these inequalities.Methods Using data from a large prospective cohort study, UK Biobank, we calculated a QRISK3 cardiovascular risk score for 472 097 eligible participants with complete data on self-reported educational attainment and statin use (55\% female; mean age, 56). We used logistic regression to explore the association between i) QRISK3 score and ii) educational attainment on self-report statin use. We then stratified the association between QRISK3 score, and statin use by educational attainment to test for interactions. We then replicated analyses using QRISK or QRISK2 scores recorded in primary care data and statin prescriptions recorded in primary care prescription records.Results There was evidence of an interaction between QRISK3 scores and education. For an equivalent QRISK3 score, more educated individuals were more likely to report taking statins. In women with 7 years of schooling, a one unit increase in QRISK3 score was associated with a 7\% higher odds of statin use (odds ratio (OR) 1.07, 95\% CI 1.07, 1.07). In women with 20 years of schooling, a one unit increase in QRISK3 score was associated with an 14\% higher odds of statin use (OR 1.14, 95\% CI 1.14, 1.15). Comparable ORs in men were 1.04 (95\% CI 1.04, 1.05) for 7 years of schooling and 1.08 (95\% CI 1.08, 1.08) for 20 years of schooling. These inequalities were also present in analyses using primary care data.Conclusion For the same level of cardiovascular risk, individuals with lower educational attainment are less likely to receive statins, likely contributing to cardiovascular inequalities. The mechanisms leading to these differences are unknown, but both health seeking behaviours and clinical factors may contribute.}, issn = {0143-005X}, URL = {https://jech.bmj.com/content/75/Suppl_1/A70.1}, eprint = {https://jech.bmj.com/content/75/Suppl_1/A70.1.full.pdf}, journal = {Journal of Epidemiology \& Community Health} }