Baseline characteristics of participants
| Participant characteristics | Intervention n=340 | Control n=337 |
|---|---|---|
| Age in years (mean, SD) | 69.9 (9.2) | 69.9 (10.1) |
| Gender (female) | 133 (39.1) | 148 (43.9) |
| Marital status1 | ||
| Single, never married | 22 (6.5) | 24 (7.2) |
| Married/civil partnership/living with partner | 228 (67.1) | 210 (62.7) |
| Widowed | 54 (15.9) | 64 (19.1) |
| Separated or divorced | 36 (10.6) | 37 (11.0) |
| Living alone1 | 92 (27.1) | 98 (29.3) |
| Education2 | ||
| Primary school or no formal education | 53 (16.0) | 51 (15.8) |
| Lower secondary level (eg, GCSE/O level or equivalent) | 57 (17.2) | 73 (22.6) |
| Upper secondary level (eg, A-levels/Highers or equivalent) | 32 (9.7) | 35 (10.8) |
| Other qualifications below degree level (eg, vocational qualifications) | 91 (27.5) | 87 (26.9) |
| Degree or higher degree | 98 (29.6) | 77 (23.8) |
| English as first language3 | 328 (96.8) | 328 (97.9) |
| Ethnicity (White)4 | 324 (95.9) | 325 (97.3) |
| Employment status4 | ||
| Employed/self-employed | 60 (17.8) | 69 (20.7) |
| Retired | 267 (79.0) | 246 (73.7) |
| Full-time home maker/carer/unemployed/disabled or too ill to work | 11 (3.3) | 19 (5.7) |
| Self-reported general health5 | ||
| Excellent | 27 (8.0) | 31 (9.3) |
| Very good | 82 (24.3) | 91 (27.3) |
| Good | 131 (38.9) | 123 (36.9) |
| Fair | 79 (23.4) | 69 (20.7) |
| Poor | 18 (5.3) | 19 (5.7) |
| Therapeutic group | ||
| Hyperlipidaemia | 261 (76.8) | 253 (75.1) |
| Type 2 diabetes | 14 (4.1) | 18 (5.3) |
| Hyperlipidaemia and type 2 diabetes | 65 (19.1) | 66 (19.6) |
| Prescription reminder service | ||
| Telephone reminder | 155 (45.6) | 175 (51.9) |
| Email reminder6 | 101 (29.7) | 90 (26.7) |
| No reminder | 84 (24.7) | 72 (21.4) |
| Exemption from prescription payment3 | 329 (97.1) | 315 (94.0) |
| Total number of items on repeat prescription list (median, IQR) | 6.00 (5) | 6.00 (5) |
| Total number of cholesterol and/or diabetes medications prescribed | ||
| 1 | 258 (75.9) | 260 (77.2) |
| 2 | 51 (15.0) | 52 (15.4) |
| 3 | 20 (5.9) | 17 (5.0) |
| 4 | 9 (2.6) | 7 (2.1) |
| 5 | 2 (0.6) | 1 (0.3) |
| Self-reported adherence to lipid-lowering and/or diabetes medication in the previous 7 days (Diagnostic Adherence to Medication Scale)7 | ||
| Median (IQR) | 100 (0) | 100 (0) |
| <90% adherence | 44 (13.3) | 43 (13.1) |
| Patients meeting guideline targets | ||
| Total cholesterol <5 mmol/L8 | 86 (56.2) | 82 (62.6) |
| Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) <7%9 | 23 (44.2) | 20 (44.4) |
1Missing=2, 2 missing=23, 3 missing=3, 4 missing=5, 5 missing=7, 6 includes one postal reminder, 7 missing=16, 8 n=284, 9, n=97.
Data are number (%) unless otherwise stated.