Lifestyle Factors Can Predict Statin Therapy Adherence

In a new study, a team led by researchers from the University of Turku in Finland has outlined lifestyle factors they say may help predict how likely a patient is to adhere to statin therapy.

The investigators, who say that nearly 1 in 10 cardiovascular events such as strokes and heart attacks can be attributed to patients’ non-adherence to statin therapy, analyzed data of 11,949 individuals involved in the Finnish Public Sector Study. The participants had begun treatment with statins, which are commonly prescribed to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, therefore reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Among these patients, 9,285 had completed a lifestyle questionnaire before starting the therapy, and were included in the study.
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The analysis revealed that individuals who were not overweight or obese, and who did not have a history of cardiovascular disease or a history of smoking, were less likely to stick to statin therapy than former smokers and obese or overweight individuals. Non-adherence was also found to be more common among single individuals between the ages of 25 and 40, as well as women.

In addition, the authors found that individuals with cardiovascular-related conditions, those who engaged in heavy drinking or extreme drinking were more likely to not adhere to statin therapy, in comparison to non-drinkers. According to the researchers, heavy drinkers may purposely avoid statin therapy in order to avoid drug and alcohol interaction, miss doses due to being intoxicated, or may merely be less concerned about missing doses.

The findings should carry a few messages for primary care practitioners, says Heli Halava, MD, a clinical instructor in the department of public health and pharmacology at the University of Turku, and lead author of the study.

For example, the association between lifestyle factors and non-adherence to statin therapy varied by cardiovascular comorbidity status, says Halava, adding that “patients with cardiovascular diseases or diabetes, those with high mean alcohol consumption, extreme drinking occasions, or clustering of 3 – 4 lifestyle risks may be at high risk of non-adherance.”

—Mark McGraw

Reference

Halava H, Korhonen M, et al. Lifestyle factors as predictors of nonadherence to statin therapy among patients with and without cardiovascular comorbidities. CMAJ. 2014.