Poor ?Real-world? adherence to BP meds ups heart-failure risk
Although non adherence to medication is common in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension, those with greater compliance may have a lower risk of early heart failure, according to a new study from Italy.
Specifically, in 6.6 years of follow-up, compared with patients who filled their prescriptions less than a quarter of the time those who filled their prescriptions more than three-quarters of the time had a 34% lower risk of being hospitalized for heart failure.
The inverse relationship between drug adherence and hospitalization for heart failure was similar in 71- to 80-years-olds vs 40- to 70-year-olds. ACE inhibitors, angiotensinreceptor blockers (ARBs), and diuretics protected patients against heart failure, but calcium-channel blockers did not.
This research shows that