Examining the relationship between antihypertensive medication satisfaction and adherence in older patients.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between medication adherence and treatment satisfaction has been consistently positive, however, this relationship has not been examined among older adults with hypertension. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between medication adherence and treatment satisfaction among a sample of older adults with hypertension. METHODS: This was a survey-based cross-sectional study in which seven community senior centers in the city of Memphis, Tennessee and its surrounding areas were visited. Individuals aged 60 years and older with self-reported hypertension who visited the community senior centers between August and December 2013 were asked to participate. The participants' satisfaction with their antihypertensive medications was assessed using a newly developed scale. The Short Form Health Survey (SF-12v2) was used to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The Primary Care Assessment Survey (PCAS) Communication scale was used to assess the satisfaction with health care provider communication. The Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ-General) was used to assess the participant beliefs about medications. The eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) was used to assess adherence to antihypertensive medications. And the Single Item Literacy Screener (SILS) was used to assess health literacy. Multiple linear regression was conducted to examine the relationship between medication adherence and satisfaction with antihypertensive therapy controlling for multiple variables. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety participants with hypertension were included in the study. Most participants were white, women, aged ≥70 years, taking ≥2 prescription medications and having ≥2 medical conditions. After adjusting for age, education, number of prescription medications, race, health literacy, sex, marital status, SF-12v2 Physical Component Summary (PCS-12) and Mental Component Summary (MCS-12), and PCAS-Communication scores, the overall satisfaction score of the antihypertensive medication regimen was positively and significantly associated with MMAS-8 sore (ß = 0.262; 95% confidence interval, 0.007-0.517; P = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment satisfaction was associated with higher medication adherence among older adults with hypertension.

Exploring the factors that influence medication rating Web sites value to older adults: A cross-sectional study.

In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated factors that affected the perceived value of medication rating Web sites to 284 people aged ≥ 60 years who were taking prescription medications. The Patient Reviews of Medication Experience (PROMEX) questionnaire score, which assessed participant opinions about the value of online reviews of medications, was positively associated with preference to share health care decision making with the health care provider and negatively associated with the Physical Component Summary (PCS-12) and Mental Component Summary scores of the Short Form 12 health survey. The Primary Care Assessment Survey Communication score, which measured participant satisfaction with the communication from the health care provider, was positively associated with PCS-12 and health literacy. In summary, older adults who had poor physical and mental health-related quality of life were more likely to believe that medication rating Web sites were useful and helpful in facilitating communication with health care providers.

Predictors of functional limitation trajectories after injury in a nationally representative U.S. older adult population.

PURPOSE: Studies examining postinjury functional status have demonstrated that individuals with severe injuries often do not return to baseline levels of physical functioning. We sought to investigate the impact injuries have on changes in physical functioning across the life course of older adults. The study's objectives were to (1) identify trajectories of long-term functional limitations after injury in the older adult population to better characterize the recovery process and (2) predict which individuals are most at risk for poor functional trajectories after injury. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using six waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study, which surveys Americans older than 50 years every two years. A group-based trajectory model was used to identify trajectories of functional limitations in injured participants. Using multivariate regression, we identified significant predictors of each trajectory. RESULTS: Five distinct trajectories were identified: Trajectory 1--consistently low functional limitations scores (18.9%), Trajectory 2--increase in functional limitations after injury followed by a gradual, incomplete recovery (46.3%), Trajectory 3--increase in functional limitations followed by further decline in functioning (10.5%), Trajectory 4--increase in functional limitations after injury followed by a gradual, complete recovery (13.4%), and Trajectory 5--consistently high functional limitations scores (10.8%). Gender, multiple health conditions, and insurance status predicted trajectory membership. CONCLUSIONS: Functional limitations after injury follow distinct trajectories that can be predicted by baseline individual characteristics.

Potency and Stability of Intradermal Capsaicin: Implications for Use as a Human Model of Pain in Multicenter Clinical Trials.

Intradermally injected capsaicin has been used extensively both as a human pain model and to assess analgesic efficacy. Factors such as dose, formulation, route, and site are known to affect its sensitivity. We determined whether potency and stability of capsaicin solutions were further sources of variability when following strict manufacturing guidelines. Capsaicin solution (1.0 mg/mL) was prepared according to Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) guidelines and aseptically filled into sterile amber borosilicate vials and stored at 5°C, 25°C, and 30°C. All samples were analyzed at one, three, six, and twelve months. Chemical stability was determined using HPLC and physical stability was evaluated by visual inspection of color changes, clarity, particulate matter, and product/ container closure abnormalities during each sampling time. Capsaicin intradermal injection was found to be sterile and retained 95% of the initial concentration for at least one year, regardless of studied storage temperatures (P<0.0001). Visual inspection indicated no changes in color, clarity, particulate matter, and product/ container closure abnormalities in all samples. These data show that capsaicin solutions (1.0 mg/mL) maintain their potency and stability over one year when manufactured according to cGMP guidelines. These results suggest that in clinical trials manufacturing of capsaicin solutions is recommended over extemporaneous compounding.