title: Treatment adherence in renal transplant recipients: a questionnaire survey on immunosuppressants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To achieve a high graft survival rate, patient adherence to immunosuppressive therapy is critical. It is extremely difficult to establish the actual adherence status of transplant recipients; only a few surveys on the issue have been performed in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a questionnaire survey mainly on treatment adherence to calcineurin inhibitors among renal transplant recipients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey demonstrated some degree of nonadherence in a relatively high percentage of the patients. The adherence rate was significantly lower for the evening than the morning dose (McNemar test, P < .001). It significantly decreased with time following transplantation for both the morning and the evening doses (logistic regression analysis, P = .025 and <.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunosuppressive treatment places a substantial burden on patients, some of whom cannot continue regular treatment at specified time points due to daily life restrictions after they have returned to work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Specific Organ Regulation (Urology), Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. ichimaru@uro.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ichimaru
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakuta
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okumi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Isaka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nonomura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okuyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents