Adherence to medication (MA) is crucial in chronic diseases, but its impact on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has been less studied. A recent study reviews the adherence patterns, identifies factors linked to low adherence, and examines the associated outcomes in these patients.
Methods
A systematic review was conducted across several databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central, etc.) from March 1998 to July 2023, including studies focusing on medication adherence as primary or secondary outcomes. Duplicate processes were used for study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment.
Results
Twenty studies with 22,675 patients were included. There was significant variability in methodologies. Mediction adherence rates ranged from 0.62 to 0.96, with high rates reported between 40% to 94%. Factors associated with low adherence included higher treatment frequency, longer time since diagnosis, and co-payment requirements. High rates were linked to fewer hospitalizations, shorter inpatient stays, fewer outpatient visits, and lower healthcare costs.
Conclusions
The review highlights the variability in medication adherence across studies. It suggests that higher medication adherence may enhance clinical outcomes and reduce costs. Identifying factors contributing to poor medication adherence can help in developing targeted educational interventions to improve patient outcomes.
Citation
Le Bozec A, Korb-Savoldelli V, Boiteau C, Dechartres A, Al Kahf S, Sitbon O, Montani D, Jaïs X, Guignabert C, Humbert M, Savale L, Chaumais MC. Medication adherence, related factors and outcomes among patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a systematic review. Eur Respir Rev. 2024 Jul 3;33(173):240006. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0006-2024. PMID: 38960611; PMCID: PMC11220621.
Article available at this link on the ERS Publications web page
