Key result
Treatment non-adherence affects ~74% of HF patients and is linked to higher symptom burden and hospitalizations.
Why the study?
Non-adherence to treatment regimens in heart failure patients is prevalent and its relationships with symptom burden and hospitalisation frequency require investigation.
Does adherence to treatment regimens improve symptom burden and reduce hospitalisation frequency in heart failure patients?
Cross-Sectional (n=479)
No
Does adherence to treatment regimens improve symptom burden and reduce hospitalisation frequency in heart failure patients?
Non-adherence is highly prevalent (73.6%) among heart failure patients and is significantly associated with higher symptom burden and more frequent hospitalizations.
Supports adherence monitoring in HF clinics; hypothesis-generating for trials testing intervention effects on symptoms and hospitalizations.
AIMS: To investigate adherence and non-adherence to treatment regimens among heart failure patients and to explore relationships with symptom burden and hospitalisation frequency. DESIGN: The research employed a cross-sectional survey study design. METHODS: The online survey "Living with heart failure", was conducted among patients attending the Cardiac outpatient clinic at a Swedish University Hospital over the course of a calendar year. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics using the statistical processing program SPSS. RESULTS: The survey was made accessible to 1395 respondents; 479 individuals participated. The response rate was 34.3%. 73.6% were classified as non-adherent and 26.4% as adherent. Among the non-adherent, a statistically significantly higher symptom burden was observed. Lower hospitalisation frequency was associated with higher adherence and lower symptom burden. Frequent hospitalisations correlated with lower adherence and more severe symptoms. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS: This study underscores the prevalence of non-adherence in the heart failure population and emphasises the importance of addressing this issue. IMPACT: Non-adherence to treatment regimens remains a global challenge, historically underestimated and challenging to quantify. Non-adherence to medical treatment in the heart failure population is about 50%; non-adherence from a wider perspective implicates a gap of knowledge. The principal discoveries from this study underscore the extensive non-adherence and its exacerbating effects on symptom burden and hospitalisation. The primary significance of this research will manifest among caregivers in multidisciplinary teams providing support to the heart failure population. REPORTING METHOD: The Equator Guidelines Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) were adhered to. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.
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Moe et al. (2025) conducted a cross-sectional in Heart failure (n=479). Non-adherence to treatment regimens vs. Adherence to treatment regimens was evaluated on Symptom burden and hospitalisation frequency. Non-adherence to treatment regimens was present in 73.6% of heart failure patients and was associated with significantly higher symptom burden and more frequent hospitalizations.
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