Key Barriers to Medication Adherence in Survivors of Strokes and Transient Ischemic Attacks

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Even though medications can greatly reduce the risk of recurrent stroke, medication adherence is suboptimal in stroke survivors. OBJECTIVE To identify key barriers to medication adherence in a predominantly low-income, minority group of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) survivors. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS Six hundred stroke or TIA survivors, age ≥ 40 years old, recruited from underserved communities in New York City. MAIN MEASURES Medication adherence was measured using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Questionnaire. Potential barriers to adherence were assessed using validated instruments. Logistic regression was used to test which barriers were independently associated with adherence. Models were additionally controlled for age, race/ethnicity, income, and comorbidity. KEY RESULTS Forty percent of participants had poor self-reported medication adherence. In unadjusted analyses, compared to adherent participants, non-adherent participants had increased concerns about medications (26 % versus 7 %, p