Improving cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women by addressing medication adherence issues

To review medication adherence issues that relate to managing cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women and to explore strategies pharmacists can use to improve outcomes by identifying and resolving adherence problems.

Published articles identified through MEDLINE using the search terms adherence, compliance, cardiovascular, and menopause. Additional articles and data were identified from the bibliographies of the retrieved articles and from Web sites and reports from the National Council on Patient Information and Education, North American Menopause Society, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Heart Association.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women, a fact many women do not recognize. Although effective pharmacologic treatments for managing risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been developed, these therapies are underprescribed, and patient adherence to them is often poor. Efforts to increase postmenopausal women's awareness of cardiovascular disease and the efficacy of therapeutic regimens can help improve such patients' adherence to these lifesaving treatments.

As one of the most accessible health care professionals, pharmacists are well positioned to provide counseling about the importance of medication adherence, help measure and optimize outcomes from medication use, and help patients find objective and authoritative sources of information about their conditions. By working with postmenopausal women to enhance their adherence, pharmacists can help them improve their cardiovascular health.