title: A comparative study of medication use after stroke in four countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of medication plays an important role in secondary stroke prevention and treatment of post-stroke comorbidities. The Collaborative Evaluation of Rehabilitation in Stroke across Europe (CERISE) was set up to investigate the inpatient stroke rehabilitation process in four centres, each in a different European country: Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom and Switzerland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients' medication use 5 years post-stroke was compared between countries. Focus was put on cerebrovascular secondary prevention, including (a) adequate antithrombotic treatment, (b) treatment of cardiovascular comorbidities and diabetes, and (c) the use of lipid-lowering drugs; as well as on the treatment of stroke-related disorders such as depression, anxiety and pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Medication data were available for 247 patients. Data about depression and anxiety were available for 233.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were no significant differences between the four centres in antithrombotic treatment and in the treatment of cardiovascular comorbidities and diabetes. However, significantly more patients from the UK were treated with lipid-lowering drugs compared to Belgian patients. Significant differences were also observed between the centres in the prevalence and treatment of depression. More Belgian patients suffered from depression compared to German patients and significantly more Belgian patients took antidepressants than patients in Germany. This was in contrast to the prevalence and treatment of anxiety and pain, for which no significant differences between the centres were seen. Related to pain treatment, it was observed that almost 40% of all patients suffering from pain, used no specific medication.
authors.affiliation: Research Group Clinical Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy (KFAR), Centre for Pharmaceutical Research (CePhar), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Sara.Desmaele@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Desmaele
authors.affiliation: Interuniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (ICHER), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Koen.Putman@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Putman
authors.affiliation: Interuniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (ICHER), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Liesbet.De.Wit@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Liesbet
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Wit
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Leuven University Hospital, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: Eddy.Dejaeger@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Eddy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dejaeger
authors.affiliation: Neurologie und Physikalische Medizin und Rehabilitation, RehaClinic Zurzach, Quellenstrasse 34, 5330 Bad Zurzach, Switzerland. Electronic address: A.Gantenbein@rehaclinic.ch.
authors.forename: Andreas R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gantenbein
authors.affiliation: Fachklinik Herzogenaurach and Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, In der Reuth 1, 91074 Herzogenaurach, Germany. Electronic address: Wilfried.Schupp@fachklinik-herzogenaurach.de.
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schupp
authors.affiliation: Research Group Clinical Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy (KFAR), Centre for Pharmaceutical Research (CePhar), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Stephane.Steurbaut@uzbrussel.be.
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steurbaut
authors.affiliation: Research Group Clinical Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy (KFAR), Centre for Pharmaceutical Research (CePhar), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Alain.Dupont@uzbrussel.be.
authors.forename: Alain G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology (IVTD), Centre for Pharmaceutical Research (CePhar), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: kdepaepe@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Kristien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Paepe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001530:Belgium; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015995:Prevalence; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013557:Switzerland; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000925:Anticoagulants; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
keywords: Drug therapy; Rehabilitation; Secondary prevention; Stroke