A Prospective International Study on Adherence to Treatment in 305 Patients With Flaring SLE: Assessment by Drug Levels and Self-Administered Questionnaires.

ABSTRACT: Nonadherence to treatment is a major cause of lupus flares. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a major medication in systemic lupus erythematosus, has a long half-life and can be quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. This international study evaluated nonadherence in 305 lupus patients with flares using drug levels (HCQ <200 ng/ml or undetectable desethylchloroquine), and self-administered questionnaires (MASRI <80% or MMAS-8 <6). Drug levels defined 18.4% of the patients as severely nonadherent. In multivariate analyses, younger age, nonuse of steroids, higher body mass index, and unemployment were associated with nonadherence by drug level. Questionnaires classified 39.9% of patients as nonadherent. Correlations between adherence measured by questionnaires, drug level, and physici

SUBMITTER: Costedoat-Chalumeau N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5858989 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature