Adherence to the treatment of pa­tients in the long-term supervision period after myocardial infarction (according to the REGATA register)

Abstract

Aim To study long-term compliance with treatment in patients included into the REGistry of pATients after myocArdial infarction (REGATA).Material and methods In 2012–2013, the study included 481 patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) who visited the district outpatient clinic. Median age was 72 [62;78] years; men, 51.4 % (n=247); median time from the last MI to the date of inclusion into the registry was 5 [2;9] years. Compliance with treatment was determined with the Morisky-Green questionnaire during telephone contacts with patients at 36 and 48 months (n=230) after the inclusion. Patients scored 4 were considered compliant; patients scored 3 were low-compliant; and patients scored 0-2 were non-compliant. Statistical significance of differences in compliance at 36 and 48 months was assessed with the McNemar test.Results There were no significant differences between the proportions of compliant, low-compliant and non-compliant patients for the analyzed period. However, at 48 months after the inclusion, the number of patients who had difficulties in answering the questionnaire questions significantly increased from 15.5 % to 21.6 % (p=0.04). Analysis of changes in compliance with the treatment for only compliant patients showed that at 36 months from the inclusion, 87 patients remained highly compliant (37.8 %) while at 48 months, only 32 (36.8 %) patients remained compliant with the treatment. Proportion of compliant patients did not significantly differ for men and women, patients younger and older than 60 years, patients with primary MI and reinfarction, prone and not prone to self-management, and for those who used or not the medicine assistance.Conclusion The data obtained as a part of the REGATA registry indicate insufficient long-term compliance with the treatment of after-MI patients with both primary MI and reinfarction, an increasing proportion of patients who are unable to assess their degree of compliance, and decreasing compliance among highly compliant patients during the period between 36 and 48 months of observation. On the whole, there were no significant changes in the compliance with the treatment for 12 months between the first and the second interviews. The proportion of patients compliant with the prescribed drug therapy was significantly lower in the presence of predisposition to self-management.