Factors associated with 2-year persistence in fully non reimbursed lipid-lowering treatments

to evaluate the main factors associated with long-term persistence in fully paid lipid-lowering treatment.

We selected 628 moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects (M: 307; F: 311, mean age 59 ± 9 years old), to whom we firstly prescribed a statin (N. 397) or different kinds of lipid-lowering nutraceuticals (N. 231). Then, depending on their will, patients took brand statin (N. 194) or generic statins (N. 203).

The main determinants of long-term persistence in therapy are female sex (OR 1.21, 95%CI 1.08-1.42), family history of early cardiovascular disease (OR 1.31, 95%CI 1.13-1.49), baseline LDL-C (OR 1.19, 95%CI 1.02-1.33) and treatment with nutraceuticals versus statins (OR 1.29, 95%CI 1.14-1.38). Persistence appears not to be influenced by patient's age, smoking habit, adverse events during treatment, and estimated cardiovascular risk.

Among self-paying patients with mild hyperlipidemia, medication persistence is highest among those taking nutraceuticals, followed by brand statins, followed by generic statins.