[How to optimize lipid-lowering therapy: do not forget patient's non-compliance].
The pharmacological treatment of dyslipidaemia, essentially by statins, should take place in a global strategy of prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Treating a risk factor, asymptomatic by definition, which imposes an early constraint for a potential late benefit, exposes to patient's noncompliance. Besides physician's clinical inertia to initiate and adjust the lipid-lowering therapy in at risk patients, such lack of patient's compliance is one of the key elements that may explain the failure to reach or maintain therapeutic targets, and represents a major pharmacoeconomical concern. This article analyses first the main reasons explaining the poor compliance to lipid-lowering therapy and, then, describes some approaches to improve patient's adherence to medications in order to better prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Radermecker
R P
RP
Université de Liège, Service de Diabétologie, Nutrition et Maladies métaboliques et Unite de Pharmacologie, Belgique.
Scheen
A J
AJ
D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055118:Medication Adherence
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents