The New York Times (8/9, Singer) "Prescriptions" blog reported, "Within three months of being hospitalized for an acute stroke, nearly one quarter of patients stop taking at least one of the drugs prescribed by their doctors to prevent further cardiovascular problems," researchers found after interviewing 2,598 individuals. "After their hospital stays, many patients had been prescribed several drugs such as anti-clotting pills, diuretics, cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood pressure medications," according to the paper in the Archives of Neurology. But, "three months after hospitalization, 75.5 percent of the patients were taking all of the medicines their doctors had prescribed to them when they were discharged." The research team examined characteristics of patients to see which ones are least likely to be on their medications, the Los Angeles Times (8/9, Healy) "Booster Shots" blog reported. "They found that younger patients and those who leave the hospital with the highest numbers of medications, those who suffered the severest disability after their strokes, and those without health insurance are more likely to be off their medications three months after a stroke." In contrast, "older patients who understand why their medications are prescribed, and are either employed or at home voluntarily, are more likely to remain on medication at that point."
