Associations of Community and Individual Social Determinants of Health With Medication Adherence in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Despite guideline-recommended use of oral anticoagulation (OAC) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), OAC medication adherence among patients with AF in the United States ranges from 47% to 82%. To characterize potential causes of nonadherence, we analyzed associations between community and individual social risk factors and OAC adherence for stroke prevention in AF. Methods and Results A retrospective cohort analysis of patients with AF was conducted using the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus claims data from January 2016 to June 2020, and 3-digit ZIP code-level social risk scores were calculated using American Community Survey and commercial data.

A systematic review of primary care-focused, self-reported medication adherence tools.

Background: Clinician recognition of nonadherence is generally low. Tools that clinicians have used to assess medication adherence are self-reported adherence instruments that ask patients questions about their medication use experience. There is a need for more structured reviews that help clinicians comprehensively distinguish which tool might be most useful and valuable for their clinical setting and patient populations.

GEOlimma: differential expression analysis and feature selection using pre-existing microarray data.

Background: Differential expression and feature selection analyses are essential steps for the development of accurate diagnostic/prognostic classifiers of complicated human diseases using transcriptomics data. These steps are particularly challenging due to the curse of dimensionality and the presence of technical and biological noise. A promising strategy for overcoming these challenges is the incorporation of pre-existing transcriptomics data in the identification of differentially expressed (DE) genes.

Medication adherence following coronary artery bypass graft surgery: assessment of beliefs and attitudes.

Background: The medication management of patients following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery may include antiplatelet agents, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and statins. However, poor adherence is common, and patient attitudes and beliefs play a role in adherence.

Objective: To evaluate the association between self-reported adherence and the beliefs patients have about cardiovascular medicines used after CABG.

Prevalence of comorbidities and their influence on blood pressure goal attainment in geriatric patients.

Hypertension in elderly patients is common and is associated with unique challenges. This study examines the prevalence of comorbidities in elderly hypertensive patients and evaluates the association between comorbidities and other covariates with blood pressure goal attainment. Data were collected through retrospective review of medical records and included patient characteristics, comorbidities, treatment-related variables, and blood pressure goal attainment.

Treatment and control of blood pressure in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: A study was conducted to characterize the prevalence of hypertension in patients with diabetes mellitus and the percentage of patients with diabetes and hypertension who achieved a targeted blood pressure goal (<135/80 mm Hg).

Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in an ambulatory care clinic. Eligible patients were those individuals being managed for type 2 diabetes mellitus at least once each year for two consecutive years.

Statin initiation following coronary artery bypass grafting: outcome of a hospital discharge protocol.

Study Objectives: To evaluate the outcome of a hospital discharge statin drug therapy initiation protocol following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Our goal was to measure the percentage of patients receiving statin drugs at hospital discharge and at a post-hospital discharge assessment following the implementation of the statin drug therapy initiation protocol. We also evaluated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal attainment (ie, < 100 mg/dL), safety monitoring, and tolerability of the statin drug.

Risk assessment of NSAID-induced gastrointestinal toxicity in ambulatory care patients.

Purpose: The risk of gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity associated with the use of a traditional nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) versus a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor was compared among patients in a managed care organization.

Methods: Patients over 18 years old who received a prescription for ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib, or rofecoxib between March 2001 and June 2001 were included in this study. All subjects were followed for 12 months for GI complications, medication use, and changes in physical conditions from baseline.

Antihypertensive medication compliance in a Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

Objective: To compare compliance rates associated with categories of antihypertensive medications in a Veteran's Affairs (VA) Healthcare System by use of readily available data and standard software.

Methods: Prescriptions from the Veteran's Health Information System Technology Architecture (VISTA) database for angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers (CCBs), diuretics, and a miscellaneous group of antihypertensives filled or refilled during a 12-month period were included in the analysis. Claims data for each prescription were exported from the VISTA database to Microsoft Excel, and compliance rates were calculated by use of a methodology reported elsewhere.