Adherence to Recent Evidence-Based Guidelines for Statin Therapy in Primary Prevention for Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in type 2 diabetes. The 2024 American Diabetes Association guidelines recommend high-intensity statin therapy for adults aged 40 to 75 years with diabetes and elevated cardiovascular risk, yet low-density-lipoprotein (LDL-C) targets are frequently unmet. PROJECT RATIONALE: This quality improvement initiative sought to evaluate adherence to the updated American Diabetes Association guidelines and identify gaps in statin use, adjunctive therapy, and LDL-C goal achievement in a real-world outpatient setting. PROJECT SUMMARY: A retrospective review of 100 patients with type 2 diabetes at an academic clinic revealed that 57% failed to achieve LDL-C <70 mg/dL. Although most were prescribed high-intensity statins, therapy escalation opportunities and adjunctive treatments such as ezetimibe or PCSK9 inhibitors were underused. Structured follow-up and clinical decision tools were identified as strategies to improve outcomes. TAKE-HOME MESSAGE: Guideline adherence alone is insufficient; therapy optimization and follow-up are critical for achieving LDL-C targets.