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ABSTRACT:
Method: Retrospective cohort study, using linked electronic health records covering a period from January 2009 to December 2016. The study cohort included adult patients (?18 years) newly initiating statins within Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland. Study outcomes comprised adherence, discontinuation and persistence to treatment, stratified by three exposure groups (high, moderate and low intensity). Discontinuation and persistence were calculated using the refill-gap and anniversary methods, respectively. Proportion of days covered (PDC) was used as a proxy for adherence. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate discontinuation, and associations between adherence/persistence and statin intensity were assessed using logistic regression.
Results: A total of 73 716 patients with a mean age of 61.4 ± 12.6 years were included; the majority (88.3%) received moderate intensity statins. Discontinuation rates differed between intensity levels, with high-intensity patients less likely to discontinue treatment compared to those on moderate intensity (prior cardiovascular disease [CVD]: HR 0.43 [95% CI 0.34-0.55]; no prior CVD: 0.80 [0.74-0.86]). Persistence declined over time, and high-intensity patients had the highest persistence rates. Overall, 52.6% of patients were adherent to treatment (PDC ? 80%), but adherence was considerably higher among high-intensity patients (63.7%).
Conclusion: High-intensity statins were associated with better persistence and adherence to treatment, but overall long-term persistence and adherence remain a challenge, particularly among patients without prior CVD. This needs addressing.
SUBMITTER: Rezende Macedo do Nascimento RC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7688536 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Rezende Macedo do Nascimento Renata Cristina RC Mueller Tanja T Godman Brian B MacBride Stewart Sean S Hurding Simon S de Assis Acurcio Francisco F Guerra Junior Augusto Afonso AA Alvares Teodoro Juliana J Morton Alec A Bennie Marion M Kurdi Amanj A
British journal of clinical pharmacology 20200530 12
<h4>Aim</h4>To assess associations between statin intensity and adherence, persistence and discontinuation of statin therapy in Scotland.<h4>Method</h4>Retrospective cohort study, using linked electronic health records covering a period from January 2009 to December 2016. The study cohort included adult patients (≥18 years) newly initiating statins within Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland. Study outcomes comprised adherence, discontinuation and persistence to treatment, stratified by three exp ...[more]