FOR YOUR PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR
UCLA Stroke Center, PROTECT Program
David Geffen School of Medicine
710 Westwood Plaza Suite 4-126
Los Angeles, CA 90095 – 1769
“Extending, enriching and empowering the life of every stroke patient, because one stroke is enough.”
Dear Physician,
Your patient, ______, recently suffered a stroke or transient ischemic attack and was hospitalized at the UCLA Stroke center.
This letter is to inform you about the UCLA Stroke PROTECT (Preventing Recurrence of Thromboembolic Events through Coordinated Treatment) Program and to solicit your participation in achieving its goals in the prevention of a recurrent ischemic event through management of atherosclerosis risk factors.
Consistent and compelling clinical trial evidence has demonstrated that behavior and risk-factor modification can markedly decrease the risk for future cerebrovascular events and prolong survival in patients with documented cerebrovascular disease.
There are 8 critical program goals. Compliance with each and every one of these is crucial for the success of our program:
1) Initiation and maintenance of appropriate Antithrombotic therapy
2) Initiation and maintenance of a Statin agent (titrated to achieve a low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol < 100 mg/dl; if LDL already < 100 mg/dl then a fixed intermediate statin dose to be instituted)
3) Initiation and maintenance of an appropriate Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
4) Initiation and maintenance of appropriate Diuretic therapy
5) Smoking cessation advice and referral to a formal cessation program
6) Initiation and maintenance of the American Heart Association Diet
7) Initiation of Exercise counseling
8) Initiation and maintenance of Stroke education including awareness of stroke warning signs as well as instructions to call 911 in the event of a cerebrovascular event
We support and respect your role in caring for your patient. Patients are more likely to follow guidance and be compliant with medications or interventions immediately after they have had an event and when reinforced on a regular basis by their physicians.
We greatly appreciate your assistance and support in the implementation of the UCLA Stroke PROTECT Program.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this program, please feel free to contact us at (310) 825-1806, and visit our website at www.strokeprotect.mednet.ucla.edu.
Sincerely,
Bruce Ovbiagele, MD
Director, UCLA Stroke PROTECT Program
Jeffrey L. Saver, MD
Co-Chair, UCLA Stroke PROTECT Program
Director, UCLA Stroke Program
UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center Revised 12/08