International Journal of Health Sciences

Does optimal adherence to medications improve heart failure outcomes and mortality?
Leandro Cordeiro Portela, MSc; Francisco Plácido Nogueira Arcanjo, PhD; Joaquim David Carneiro Neto, MSc; Breno Cotrim Reis; Vanessa Tavares Aragão; Paulo Átila da Silva Viana; Peter Richard Hall.

Abstract
Objective: To assess the level of adherence to medications, using the Morisky-Green test (MGT), and its relationship with the clinical profile of patients admitted to specialized heart hospital, and sociodemographic variables. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analytical observational study including patients with clinical history of HF hospitalized from 2015-2018. Clinical and hemodynamic profiles was defined upon hospital admittance and adherence to drug therapy using the MGT was performed. The main results of electrocardiographic exams were listed and cataloged. Data were analyzed to test the relationship between sociodemographic variables, clinical profile at hospitalization, mortality rates during hospital stay and adherence to medication. Results: A total of 306 patients with HF were analyzed. Mean age was 66.1±17.0 years. Higher mortality was observed in patients in NYHA functional class IV (83.3%), with wet-cold profile (50.0%) and an ejection fraction of less than 40% (62.5%).No statistically significant association between suboptimal adherence to drug therapy and more severe clinical profiles such as wet-cold and wet-warm was observed. Patients with optimal adherence to drug therapy had a statistically significant reduction in the risk of progressing to death, p< .0001. Conclusion: Optimal adherence to drug therapy was associated with reduced mortality. However, there was no significant correlation between the method (MGT) and the outcome of the clinical profile of decompensation.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijhs.v8n4a7