[Patient compliance with drug therapy in temporal arteritis].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate patient compliance with drug therapy in temporal arteritis and to determine the characteristics of compliant or non-compliant patients.


METHODS
Inpatients and outpatients from an Internal Medicine Unit were interviewed. Compliance with drug dosage and administration time was assessed with a questionnaire for the following drugs: glucocorticoids, calcium, vitamin D, diphosphonates (prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis).


RESULTS
Forty-nine patients were interviewed (61% female, mean age = 73.7 years). Glucocorticoids were prescribed to 96% of the patients, calcium and vitamin D to 86% and diphosphonates to 49%. Compliance with drug therapy was 87%, 60%, 68% and 51%, respectively, for all treatments. It was independent from the disease duration. Male were more compliant than female (P = 0.012).


CONCLUSIONS
Half of the patients with temporal arteritis are non-compliant with drug therapy. The questionnaire is simple. It can be used in everyday clinical practice to study and improve patient compliance.
Le Gal
V
V
Service de médecine interne A, hôpital Claude-Huriez, CHRU de Lille, 59037 Lille, France. valerie.legal@ch-carhaix.fr
Queyrel
V
V
Michon-Pasturel
U
U
Fauchais
A-L
AL
Lambert
M
M
Hachulla
E
E
Hatron
P-Y
PY
Devulder
B
B
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002118:Calcium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use
D004164:Diphosphonates; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium