Relationship between Medication Use and Cardiovascular Disease Health Outcomes in the Jackson Heart Study

Clifton C. Addison, Brenda W. Jenkins, Daniel Sarpong, Gregory Wilson, Cora Champion, Jeraline Sims and Monique S. White
Additional contact information
Clifton C. Addison: Jackson Heart Study/Project Health, Jackson State University, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 701, Jackson, MS 39213, USA
Brenda W. Jenkins: Jackson Heart Study/Project Health, Jackson State University, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 701, Jackson, MS 39213, USA
Daniel Sarpong: Jackson Heart Study, Jackson State University, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 701, Jackson, MS 39213, USA
Gregory Wilson: Jackson Heart Study, Jackson State University, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 701, Jackson, MS 39213, USA
Cora Champion: Jackson Heart Study, Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 701, Jackson, MS 39213, USA
Jeraline Sims: Jackson Heart Study, Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 701, Jackson, MS 39213, USA
Monique S. White: Jackson Heart Study/Project Health, Jackson State University, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 701, Jackson, MS 39213, USA

IJERPH, 2011, vol. 8, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: Even though some medications have the potential to slow the progress of atherosclerosis and development of CVD, there are many at-risk individuals who continue to resist the benefits that are available by not following the advice of medical professionals. Non-adherence to prescribed drug regimens is a pervasive medical problem that negatively affects treatment outcomes. Information from standardized interviews of 5301 African Americans participating in the Jackson Heart Study was examined to determine the association between demographic parameters, behavior including adherence to prescribed medical regimens, and health outcomes. Data were also collected at Annual Follow-Up and Surveillance visits. During the two weeks prior to the examination visit, almost 52% of the participants reported taking blood pressure medication, 14% took cholesterol medication, 16% took medication for diabetes, and 19% took blood thinning medication. Of those who did not take the prescribed medications, the reasons given were the following: 47% were in a hurry, too busy, or forgot to take medications; 23% were trying to do without medications; 18% had no money to purchase medications; 19% indicated that the medications made them feel bad; 17% felt that they could not carry out daily functions when taking medications. The African American population can benefit from heightened awareness of the risk factors that are associated with CVD and the benefits of following a prescribed treatment regimen. Unacceptable secondary effects of prescribed medication comprised an important cause of non-compliance. Encouragement of this population to communicate with their healthcare providers to ensure that medication regimens are better tolerated could increase compliance and improve health outcomes.

Keywords: medication use; minority; African-Americans; Jackson Heart Study; cardiovascular disease (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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