Pills and Thrills: Post-MI Med Adherence Dwindles Over Time (But Married Folks Do Better!)

Overview

Paper Summary › Explain Like I'm Five › Conflicts of Interest › Identified Limitations › Rating Explanation › Good to know › Topic Hierarchy › File Information ›

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title

Medication adherence after myocardial infarction decreases over time for ACE inhibitors, P2Y12 inhibitors, and statins. Several sociodemographic (age, employment, education, marital status, location, economic status) and clinical factors (prior CABG) influence adherence levels, with married and younger patients tending to have better adherence.

Explain Like I'm Five

Scientists found that people who had a heart attack sometimes stop taking their important medicine over time. But if they are younger or married, they are better at remembering to take it.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors declare no competing interests.

Identified Limitations

Indirect measure of adherence

The study relies on filled prescription data as a proxy for medication adherence, which may not accurately reflect actual medication intake. Patients may fill prescriptions but not take the medications as prescribed.

Limited scope of medication assessment

The study does not account for over-the-counter medications or non-pharmacological interventions that patients may be using, which could influence adherence to prescribed medications.

Limited generalizability

The study population is limited to patients receiving reimbursed medications, which may not be representative of the broader post-MI population. This limits the generalizability of the findings.

Single-center design

The study uses a single-center design, which may introduce bias and limit the generalizability of the findings to other settings.

Small sample size

The study has a relatively small sample size, which may limit the statistical power of the analyses and the ability to detect small but potentially important effects.

Rating Explanation

This is an average observational study with a relevant clinical question. The findings regarding declining adherence and associated factors are important, but several methodological limitations (indirect adherence measure, limited scope of medication assessment, limited generalizability due to single-center design and reimbursed medication focus, small sample size) prevent a higher rating. No overt conflicts of interest were identified.

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Topic Hierarchy

Domain: Health Sciences

Field: Medicine

Subfield: Family Practice

File Information

Original Title: Medication adherence and its determinants in patients after myocardial infarction

Uploaded: July 14, 2025 at 11:27 AM

Privacy: Public