PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Janelle Yorke
AU  - Iain Armstrong
AU  - Malcolm Campbell
AU  - Christi Deaton
AU  - Linda McGowen
AU  - Paul Sephton
TI  - Self-reported adherence to pulmonary hypertension medications: Preliminary results from a longitudinal cohort study
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 1414
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/1414.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/1414.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Introduction: The level of adherence to pulmonary hypertension (PH) medications, and its potential determinates, is not currently known. We explored beliefs about medications held by people with PH and what factors influence adherence. Methods: Data included demographics, functional class (FC), and self-report questionnaires: Medication Adherence Scale (MAS), Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ); EmPHasis-10, Dyspnoea-12 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: 167 patients with PH (idiopathic 39%, congenital 19% or connective disease 18% aetiology; mean age 56 years, SD 13; Female 67%; FC II 35%, FC III 38%, FC IV 5%) were recruited from 9 centres in the UK. Less than half the sample reported a high level of adherence (41%). Most respondents agreed that their current health (90%) and future health (89%) depends on PH medications; although 54% were concerned about long term effects. The overall BMQ necessity score was higher than the BMQ concerns score (mean difference 9, SD 5; P < 0.001). Anxiety scores were significantly higher in the low adherent group compared to the high adherent group (mean difference -1.6, SE 0.5, P = 0.02). Worse quality of life, breathlessness severity and anxiety significantly correlated with higher concerns scores (r = 0.32; r = 0.35; r = 0.38, respectively) (P <0.001). Conclusion: Most participants have positive beliefs about the necessity to take PH medication; however adherence is sub-optimal. Patients with PH express concerns about taking medications and that those with poorer health status are more likely to have negative beliefs about medication, which may place them at risk of non-adherent behaviours.