Education of Migrant and Nonmigrant Patients Is Associated With Initiation and Discontinuation of Preventive Medications for Acute Coronary Syndrome

Immigration status and utilization of secondary preventive treatment after ischemic stroke

Introduction:

The objective of the study was to assess use and persistence of secondary preventive treatment after ischemic stroke comparing immigrants and Danish-born residents.

Patients and methods:

A cohort of patients discharged with ischemic stroke (IS) diagnosis ( n = 106,224) by immigration status was identified from the Danish Stroke Registry between 2005 and 2018. We investigated use (claiming at least one prescription in 180 days post-discharge according to information from the Register of Medicinal Products Statistics) and persistence of treatment within 180 days thereafter using multivariable logistic regression and Fine and Gray models.

Results:

Overall, 82,078 Danish-born residents (80.6%) and 3589 (80.7%) immigrants with IS used at least one of the recommended preventive medications post-discharge. Immigrants had lower odds of use of anticoagulants and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) (odds ratio (OR), 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.53–0.82 and OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.75–0.98, respectively) but had higher odds of use of beta-blockers (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.02–1.53) than Danish-born residents after adjustment for age at stroke, sex, sociodemographic factors, duration of residence, stroke severity, and comorbidities. The odds were most evident among immigrants originating from non-Western countries. Persistence of medication use did not differ between immigrants and Danish-born residents after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities.

Conclusion:

Modest disparities in use of standard guideline recommended secondary preventive medications were observed when comparing immigrants and Danish-born residents with ischemic stroke. Furthermore, no differences in persistence of medication therapy were observed.

Education of Migrant and Nonmigrant Patients Is Associated With Initiation and Discontinuation of Preventive Medications for Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background The benefits of preventive medications after acute coronary syndrome are impeded by low medication persistence, in particular among marginalized patient groups. Patient education might increase medication persistence, but the effect is still uncertain, especially among migrant groups. We, therefore, assessed whether use of patient education was associated with medication persistence after acute coronary syndrome and whether migrant background modified the potential associations. Methods and Results A cohort of patients discharged with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (N=33 199) was identified in national registers. We then assessed number of contacts for patient education during a period of 6 months after discharge and the initiation and discontinuation of preventive medications during a period of up to 5 years. Results were adjusted for comorbidity and sociodemographic factors. Three or more contacts for patient education was associated with a higher likelihood of initiating preventive medications, corresponding to adjusted relative risks ranging from 1.12 (95% CI , 1.06-1.18) for statins to 1.39 (95% CI , 1.28-1.51) for ADP inhibitors. Lower risks of subsequent discontinuation were also observed, with adjusted hazard ratios ranging from 0.86 (95% CI , 0.79-0.92) for statins to 0.92 (95% CI , 0.88-0.97) for β blockers. Stratification and test for effect modification by migrant status showed insignificant effect modification, except for initiation of ADP inhibitors and statins. Conclusions Patient education is associated with higher chance of initiating preventive medications after acute coronary syndrome and a lower long-term risk of subsequent discontinuation independently of migrant status.