Ability to follow anti-reabsorptive drug treatment in postmenopausal women with reduced bone mass.
OBJECTIVE
Studies show that adherence to osteoporosis treatment and prevention is low, which could interfere with therapeutic response. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of women to follow a treatment for osteoporosis with different anti-reabsorptives in relation to the prescribed regimen, dose, indications, and mode of ingestion.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study that included postmenopausal women all undergoing medicated treatment because of densitometric diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis was carried out by means of the MedTake questionnaire. A total of 227 women at a menopause clinic were studied. The following were evaluated: sociodemographic characteristics, other illnesses, use of concomitant medication, use of medication for osteoporosis, length of use, and ability to follow the treatment in relation to the prescribed regimen, dose, indication, and mode of ingestion.


RESULTS
The ability to follow the treatment as evaluated by the MedTake was below 80% for most of the women. No significant difference was found between the daily or weekly bisphosphonate users and those taking raloxifene. The factors associated with inadequate treatment were the following: being 70 years or older (odds ratio [OR], 5.62; 95% CI, 1.23-25.64), being illiterate (OR, 10.14; 95% CI, 2.14-48.12), use of other medications (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.15-0.76), and shorter length of use of medication for osteoporosis (OR, 5.67; 95% CI, 2.27-14.16).


CONCLUSIONS
The ability to follow a treatment involving different anti-reabsorptive medications for osteoporosis is high relative to mode of ingestion, coingestion, and indication and low in relation to knowledge of the correct dose. Low ability is associated with advanced age, being illiterate, not using other medications, and shorter treatment time.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Medical School, Sa˜o Paulo, Brazil.
Débora Castro
DC
Gomes
Lúcia
L
Costa-Paiva
Fátima C L G
FC
Farhat
Adriana O
AO
Pedro
Aarão Mendes
AM
Pinto-Neto
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects*
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents