Ethnic Differences in 90-Day Poststroke Medication Adherence

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE—We assessed ethnic differences in medication adherence 3 months poststroke in a population-based study as an initial step in investigating the increased stroke recurrence risk in Mexican Americans compared with non-Hispanic whites. METHODS—Ischemic stroke cases from 2008 to 2015 from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi project in Texas were followed prospectively for 3 months poststroke to assess medication adherence. Medications in 5 drug classes were analyzedstatins, antiplatelets, anticoagulants, antihypertensives, and antidepressants. For each drug class, patients were considered adherent if they reported never missing a dose in a typical week. The χ tests or Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric tests were used for ethnic comparisons of demographics, risk factors, and medication adherence. A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed for the association of ethnicity and medication nonadherence. RESULTS—Mexican Americans (n=692) were younger (median 65 years versus 68 years, P