Adherence to lithium in naturalistic settings: results from a nationwide pharmacoepidemiological study

Lars Vedel Kessing, Lars Søndergård, Kajsa Kvist, Per Kragh Andersen

44 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To estimate adherence to lithium in a nationwide sample of all patients treated with lithium and to characterize adherence according to gender and age.

METHODS: Adherence to lithium was estimated using data obtained by linking Medicinal Product Statistics with the Danish Medical Register on Vital Statistics, identifying all persons who received lithium among the 5.3 million persons living in Denmark during the period 1995 to 2000 inclusive.

RESULTS: The median time to discontinuation of lithium was 181.0 days [95% confidence interval (CI) 135.7-181.0] and 25% of patients stopped treatment with lithium within 45.2 days. Adherence to lithium was significantly poorer for women (135.7 days; 95% CI 90.5-135.7) than for men (316.7 days; 95% CI 271.4-407.1) and for younger (18-39 years) and older (>or=60 years) patients compared to middle-aged patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the need for increased focus on long-term adherence to lithium with intensified psychological support, especially among younger and older female patients.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBipolar Disorders (English Edition, Print)
Volume9
Issue number7
Pages (from-to)730-6
Number of pages7
ISSN1398-5647
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Citrates
  • Denmark
  • Drug Utilization
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lithium Carbonate
  • Lithium Compounds
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Compliance
  • Pharmacoepidemiology
  • Registries
  • Sex Factors
  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Adherence to lithium in naturalistic settings: results from a nationwide pharmacoepidemiological study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this