Related Experiment Videos
[Patient compliance with drug therapy in temporal arteritis]
V Le Gal1, V Queyrel, U Michon-Pasturel
1Service de médecine interne A, hôpital Claude-Huriez, CHRU de Lille, 59037 Lille, France. valerie.legal@ch-carhaix.fr
La Revue De Medecine Interne
|December 6, 2003
Summary
Half of patients with temporal arteritis show non-compliance with drug therapy, particularly with calcium, vitamin D, and diphosphonates. Male patients demonstrated higher compliance rates than females.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Pharmacology
- Internal Medicine
Context:
- Temporal arteritis (Giant Cell Arteritis) is a chronic inflammatory condition requiring long-term medication.
- Effective management relies heavily on patient adherence to prescribed drug regimens.
- Osteoporosis is a common complication of glucocorticoid treatment in these patients.
Purpose:
- To assess patient compliance with drug therapy in temporal arteritis.
- To identify factors associated with compliance or non-compliance.
- To evaluate the utility of a simple questionnaire for assessing adherence.
Summary:
- A study interviewed 49 patients (61% female, mean age 73.7 years) with temporal arteritis regarding their adherence to glucocorticoids, calcium, vitamin D, and diphosphonates.
- Overall compliance rates were 87% for glucocorticoids, 60% for calcium/vitamin D, and 51% for diphosphonates.
- Male patients exhibited significantly higher compliance than female patients (P=0.012), irrespective of disease duration.
Impact:
- Findings indicate that approximately half of temporal arteritis patients are non-compliant with their medication.
- The study highlights the need for interventions to improve adherence, especially for osteoporosis prophylaxis.
- A simple questionnaire can effectively assess patient compliance in routine clinical settings, aiding in treatment optimization.