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Adherence to common cardiovascular medications in patients with schizophrenia vs. patients without psychiatric

Ashli Owen-Smith1, Christine Stewart2, Carla Green3

  • 1Georgia State University, Georgia; Kaiser Permanente, Georgia.

General Hospital Psychiatry
|October 2, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Individuals with schizophrenia were slightly more likely to adhere to statin medications compared to those without mental illness. Adherence to ACEI/ARB medications showed no difference. Unique strategies may be needed to improve cardioprotective medication adherence in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Cardiology
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Schizophrenia is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk.
  • Adherence to cardioprotective medications like statins and ACEI/ARBs is crucial for managing cardiovascular health.
  • Little is known about medication adherence patterns in individuals with schizophrenia for non-psychiatric medications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare medication adherence rates for statins and ACEI/ARBs between individuals with schizophrenia and those without psychiatric illness.
  • To identify potential differences in adherence to cardioprotective medications based on psychiatric diagnosis.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study using electronic medical records from 13 Mental Health Research Network sites.
  • Identified 710 individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 710 matched controls with no mental illness, all dispensed statins or ACEI/ARBs in 2011.
  • Assessed medication adherence, sociodemographic, and clinical characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Schizophrenia diagnosis was associated with a small, increased odds of statin adherence.
  • This association between schizophrenia and statin adherence disappeared after adjusting for medication regimen.
  • No association was found between schizophrenia diagnosis and adherence to ACEI/ARB medications.

Conclusions:

  • Individuals with schizophrenia showed marginally higher adherence to statin medications compared to controls.
  • Adherence patterns to cardioprotective medications may differ from antipsychotic medication adherence.
  • Tailored intervention strategies may be necessary to enhance adherence to cardioprotective medications in patients with schizophrenia.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cardiovascular medicationsMedication adherenceSchizophreniaSerious mental illness

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