Hospital admission risk for non-adherent diabetes patients
Patients with type 2 diabetes who do not take their antihyperglycaemic medicines properly increase their risk of admission to hospital.
A US study analysed 900 participants with type 2 diabetes in a managed
care scheme between 2000 and 2001. Around a third of patients were found
to have poor adherence with oral antihyperglycaemics, defined as obtaining
less than 80 per cent of prescribed medicines. Almost 46 per cent were
on multiple antiglycaemic drug therapies, 45 per cent received at least
one prescription for a lipid modifying agent and antihypertensives were
prescribed for 57 per cent.
Patients who failed to adhere to their oral diabetes medication in 2000
were 2.5 times as likely to be admitted to hospital for diabetes or cardiovascular
or cerebrovascular conditions in the following year as adherent patients.
Non-adherence to drugs for hypertension and dyslipidaemia were not significantly
associated with hospital admission.
The authors say that strategies to identify and intervene with the poorly
adherent could bring substantial benefits to both patients and providers
of health care services (Diabetes Care 2004;27:2149-53). |
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