Medication nonadherence common in patients with T2DM

(HealthDay)—Routine urine samples can be used to test for medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care.

Prashanth Patel, M.B.B.S., from the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in the United Kingdom, and colleagues used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis to measure nonadherence to cardiovascular medications in urine samples from 228 patients with type 2 diabetes seen in primary care for an annual diabetes review.

The researchers found that 28.1 percent of patients were nonadherent to antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and/or lipid-lowering medications. Statin nonadherence was highest (23.7 percent), while nonadherence to oral hypoglycemic agents was lowest (9.3 percent). In nonadherent patients, hemoglobin A1c, albumin-to-creatinine ratio, and lipid profiles were significantly higher compared to those seen in patients adherent to treatment.

"In conclusion, a single urine spot sample can be used to objectively screen for nonadherence in primary care, and the technique demonstrates that nonadherence to cardiovascular therapies is high in people with T2DM attending primary care," the authors write. "This could be used to inform clinical decisions about treatment alteration and to improve patient outcomes."