Stroke patients and their caregivers need more input from their doctors on updated risk findings, basic dos and don'ts, and how-tos involved in taking new medications. That's the consensus reached by Cheryl Bushnell, MD, MHS, and several colleagues in a new study published in the Aug. 9 issue of the Archives of Neurology.
Of the nearly 2,600 patients involved in the study, one of every four stopped taking at least one of their prescribed medications within three months of hospitalization for a stroke, the authors discover.
The first three months after a stroke are critical, the authors note, because that's when the risk of another stroke is highest, according to CardiovascularBusiness. Those patients with disabilities and/or no heath coverage are more likely to stop taking their meds.
"Hopefully, we as providers can improve patients' medication compliance through better communication and by being aware of the factors associated with medication discontinuation," says Bushnell, an associate professor of neurology at Wake Forest University, according to HealthDay News.
Overall, 106 hospitals were involved in the study.
For more on the study:
- here's the study's abstract
- read this HealthDay News piece, via Businessweek
- check out this MedPage Today article
- read this New York Times blog post
- here's the CardiovascularBusiness story