Younger patients and patients showing clinical signs of depression are less likely to adhere to their vasculitis medication, according to a study conducted by a team of researchers led by Delesha Carpenter, PhD, MSPH, a research assistant professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
The study, published on the website of the journal Clinical Rheumatology, surveyed 228 patients who were on vasculitis medication and found that overall they reported a high level of adherence to their regimens. However, patients who were younger and had more symptoms of depression reported worse adherence on a follow-up survey three months after the initial questionnaire.
“Past studies have also shown a strong association between depression and nonadherence, so we believe that health-care providers should evaluate vasculitis patients for depressive symptoms and discuss adherence-related issues with those who show clinical signs of depression,” says Carpenter, a faculty member in the School’s Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy.
“As for younger patients, one possible reason for their higher rate of nonadherence might be that they have less experience managing vasculitis medication regimens or that they have busier lifestyles that interfere with those regimens.”
The study also found a lower level of adherence among patients who experienced side effects. While that correlation was not statistically significant when other factors were taken into account, the researchers say this finding and past studies suggest that providers should help vasculitis patients manage drug-related side effects because it may ultimately improve adherence.
The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. The coauthors on the paper are Susan Hogan, PhD, a research associate professor at the UNC Kidney Center, and Robert F. DeVellis, PhD, a professor at the Thurston Arthritis Research Center.