Influence of disease features on adherence to prophylactic migraine medication.
OBJECTIVE
Randomized controlled trials of prophylactic treatments for migraine focus on the effects in an ideal situation and underestimate the impact of non-adherence, which in this study was examined in a natural setting.


METHODS
A sample of 174 adult migraineurs with a current prescription of pharmacological prophylaxis were consecutively recruited at a specialist clinic. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyse the association between adherence (self-reported with the Medication Adherence Report Scale) and number of years with migraine, frequency of attacks, number of days with migraine per month, attack duration, presence of cardinal features, mean intensity of pain, and recovery between attacks.


RESULTS
One third (35%) were non-adherent. Neither demographic characteristics nor any of the disease specific variables were significantly associated with adherence.


CONCLUSIONS
Characteristics of the disease per se did not predict non-adherence which was also observed among patients with severe migraine. The full benefit of drugs cannot be realized at currently achieved levels of adherence.
Cephalea Headache Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden. mattias.linde@neuro.gu.se
M
M
Linde
P
P
Jonsson
T
T
Hedenrud
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018710:Pain Clinics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000700:Analgesics; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic