Does a cardiovascular event change adherence to statin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes? A matched cohort design

Abstract

Objective:

To be effective, adherence to statin treatment is essential. We assessed the effect of an apparent first cardiovascular event on statin adherence rates in type 2 diabetes patients.

Research design and methods:

A matched cohort study was conducted among type 2 diabetes patients initiating statin treatment for primary prevention in the Groningen University IADB.nl pharmacy database. Patients who had a drug-treated cardiovascular event (index date) after statin initiation were matched to a reference patient without such an event with similar gender, age at statin initiation, initiation date, follow-up period and adherence level before the event. Adherence rates were measured as percentages of days covered (PDC), and shifts in adherence levels (non-adherent/partially adherent/fully adherent) and rates around the event were evaluated.

Results:

We could match 375 of the 855 eligible index patients to a reference patient. Index patients had on average a PDC of 81% after the index date; reference patients had a PDC of 71% (p < 0.001) while both had a PDC of 79% before the index date. Index patients were 4.5 times more likely than reference patients to shift from non-adherent to fully adherent (95% CI 1.1–18.8) and 1.8 times more likely to shift from partially adherent to fully adherent (95% CI 1.2–2.6). In the index group, 26% of patients became more adherent after the first cardiovascular event. In contrast, 20% of patients became less adherent.

Limitations:

Medication proxies were used, which could have caused misclassification. Furthermore, a substantial group of index patients could not be matched to a reference patient due to small ranges in matching criteria.

Conclusions:

The occurrence of a drug-treated cardiovascular event appeared to avert the declining statin adherence rate observed in diabetes patients without such an event. On the other hand, one in five patients became less adherent after the event, indicating that there are still important benefits to achieve.

Keywords: :

• Adherence
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Diabetes mellitus
• Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors

Transparency

Declaration of funding

No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this study.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

F.M.d.V., P.D., H.J.B. and E.H. have disclosed that they have no significant relationships with or financial interests in any commercial companies related to this study or article. S.V. has disclosed that he is owner of Vegter Health Economic Research and became an employee of GSK after completion of this study. M.J.P. has disclosed that he received grants, honoraria and travel stipends from various pharmaceutical industries, including those potentially interested in the subject matter of this paper.

CMRO peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Acknowledgments

Previous presentations, poster presentations: de Vries FM, Denig P, Vegter S, et al. Does a cardiovascular event change adherence to statin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes? A matched cohort. ISPOR, Dublin, November 2013. de Vries FM, Denig P, Vegter S, et al. Less decline in adherence to statin treatment in diabetes patients after a cardiovascular event. EuroDURG, Groningen, August 2014. Oral presentations: de Vries FM, Denig P, Vegter S, et al. Does a cardiovascular event change adherence to statin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes? A matched cohort. Dutch Medicines Days, Ede, October 2013. de Vries FM, Denig P, Vegter S, et al. Does a cardiovascular event change adherence to statin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes? A matched cohort. International Congress of Behavioral Medicine, Groningen, August 2014. de Vries FM, Denig P, Vegter S, et al. Does a cardiovascular event change adherence to statin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes? A matched cohort. ICPE, Taipei, October 2014.