Medication adherence to secondary prevention for coronary artery disease

• Published in: Medicina (Buenos Aires) Vol. 74; no. 2; pp. 99 - 103
• Main Authors: Rossi, Emiliano, Perman, Gastón, Michelangelo, Hernán, Alonzo, Claudia B, Brescacin, Laura, Kopitowski, Karin S, Navarro Estrada, José L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Argentina 2014
• Subjects: Acute Coronary Syndrome - drug therapy; Acute Coronary Syndrome - prevention & control; Adrenergic beta-Antagonists - administration & dosage; Aged; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Cohort Studies; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Male; Medication Adherence; Middle Aged; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Retrospective Studies; Secondary Prevention; coronary artery disease; secondary prevention; medication adherence
• ISSN: 0025-7680

We compared the use of evidence-based secondary prevention drugs for coronary artery disease at hospital discharge and 3 years of follow-up in a group of patients associated to an integrated network of health services. We conducted a retrospective group study that included 125 patients under 80 years of age who were hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome. McNemar's test was used to compare values at baseline and 3 years. The mean age of of participants was 63.7 years (SD ± 10.08) and 65.6% (95% CI 56.6-73.9) of male sex. The average follow-up time was 2.94 years (SD ± 0.25). The use of secondary prevention drugs for coronary heart disease decreased at 3 years of follow-up: anti-platelet 97.6 to 88.0% (p = 0.012), beta-blockers 94.4 to 84.8% (p = 0.021) and statins 83.7 to 91.2% (p = 0.035). Patients medicated with a combination of anti-platelet, beta blockers and statins showed a decrease from 86.4 to 66.3% (p < 0.0001). It is necessary to study the causes for the decreased adherence to long-term cardio-protective drugs.