New Study: Up to 32% of U.S. Clinicians Fail to Monitor Cholesterol in Millions of Patients Taking Statins

• National analysis of 111,000 primary care visits finds clinicians fail to monitor cholesterol in statin patients 17% of the time, with wide state-by-state variation
• Regular cholesterol monitoring for patients on statins is key to confirming medication adherence and that the drug is working
• The National Lipid Association estimates that nonadherence to statins and other medications costs the U.S. health system nearly $106 billion annually

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite broad consensus that patients on statins should have their cholesterol checked regularly, new data from Motive Medical Intelligence (Motive) show that many clinicians skip this basic step in cardiovascular care.

Millions of Americans take statins to lower their risk of heart attack and stroke, but the medications only work if patients take them as prescribed and physicians confirm they're having the intended effect. The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend regular cholesterol monitoring for patients on statins to confirm they are taking the medication correctly — a problem known medically as nonadherence — and that the drug is having its intended effect.

The National Lipid Association estimates that nonadherence to statins and other medications costs the U.S. health system $105.8 billion annually. When taken correctly, however, statins have been associated with 27.5% fewer hospitalizations, 14.7% lower total costs, and a net savings of $157.32 per member per month among Medicare enrollees.

The new study by Motive of more than 111,000 primary care office visits across the U.S. found that clinicians fail to check cholesterol in statin patients 17% of the time, on average. The analysis found that physician performance varied widely by state, with Wyoming the poorest performer — clinicians there missed the recommended test 32% of the time, nearly double the national average. Alaska followed closely at 30%.

Rhode Island (29%) and Vermont (28%) also fell well short of the national average, underscoring a significant opportunity to close the gap in cholesterol monitoring for millions of patients on statins.

Even the best-performing states — South Carolina and Texas, where physicians missed the test just 14% of the time — along with better-than-average performers New Jersey, North Carolina, and Tennessee (15%), showed that reliable cholesterol monitoring still is not reaching every patient on a statin.

"Statins are one of the most effective tools that we have for preventing heart attacks and strokes, but these benefits cannot be realized without monitoring," said Rich Klasco, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Motive. "Without measurement, physicians cannot determine whether a patient has reached their treatment goal, or whether the patient may have stopped their medication entirely."

The need for reliable cholesterol monitoring is likely to grow. A 2026 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that updated clinical guidelines will expand statin eligibility to millions of additional patients who were not previously considered candidates for treatment.

"This is a low-cost, high-value test," said Julie Scherer, Ph.D., President and Chief Solutions Officer at Motive, who led the national study. "Ensuring consistent lipid monitoring for every patient on a statin represents the essence of value-based care."

Study Methodology
The study was conducted using Motive's Practicing Wisely clinical analytics system, which measures individual clinician performance across appropriateness of care, quality, and waste. By mapping closed-claims data to evidence-based standards of care, Motive's expert team can measure individual clinician decisions at the point of care, share actionable insights back to the clinician, and help improve clinical performance to drive positive change across the U.S. health system. Practicing Wisely delivers unique insights into how individual clinicians perform against evidence-based standards, benchmarked against their peers, enabling health plans and systems to more accurately assess risk, reduce waste, move toward quality care, and drive high-value outcomes at scale.

About Motive Medical Intelligence
Motive Medical Intelligence is redefining healthcare performance analytics with an emphasis on transparency, physician trust, and real-world actionability. Motive is the partner of choice for organizations committed to eliminating low-value care and thriving in value-based care models. Through its proprietary Practicing Wisely solution, Motive is helping the industry eliminate the $400 billion in annual waste in the U.S. health system, advancing the transition to high-value, patient-centered care, and achieving the quadruple aim. Learn more here.

Media:
Supreme Communications for Motive Medical Intelligence
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SOURCE Motive Medical Intelligence