Medication Adherence Mediates the Relationship between Heart Failure Symptoms and Cardiac Event-Free Survival in Patients with Heart Failure

Jia Rong Wu, Debra K. Moser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

51 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Heart failure (HF) symptoms such as dyspnea are common and may precipitate hospitalization. Medication nonadherence is presumed to be associated with symptom exacerbations, yet how HF symptoms, medication adherence, and hospitalization/death are related remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among HF symptoms, medication adherence, and cardiac event-free survival in patients with HF. Methods: At baseline, patient demographics, clinical data, and HF symptoms were collected in 219 patients with HF. Medication adherence was monitored using the Medication Event Monitoring System. Patients were followed for up to 3.5 years to collect hospitalization and survival data. Logistic regression and survival analyses were used for the analyses. Results: Patients reporting dyspnea or ankle swelling were more likely to have poor medication adherence (P =.05). Poor medication adherence was associated with worse cardiac event-free survival (P =.006). In Cox regression, patients with HF symptoms had 2 times greater risk for a cardiac event than patients without HF symptoms (P =.042). Heart failure symptoms were not a significant predictor of cardiac event-free survival after entering medication adherence in the model (P =.091), indicating mediation. Conclusions: Medication adherence was associated with fewer HF symptoms and lower rates of hospitalization and death. It is important to develop interventions to improve medication adherence that may reduce HF symptoms and high hospitalization and mortality in patients with HF.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)40-46
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Cardiovascular Nursing
Volume33
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Post-doctoral Fellow, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Debra K. Moser, PhD, RN Professor and Linda C. Gill Chair of Cardiovascular Nursing and Director, RICH Heart Program, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington. This study was supported by funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research, K23NR014489 (J.W., PI). The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Correspondence Jia-Rong Wu, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 435 Carrington Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460 ([email protected]).

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • heart failure
  • mediator
  • medication adherence
  • outcomes
  • symptoms

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Advanced and Specialized Nursing

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