# Adherence to Pharmacological Treatment in Chronic Venous Disease: Results of a Real-World, Prospective, Observational Cohort Study

## TL;DR

This study examines how well patients with chronic venous disease follow their medication in real-world settings, finding some improvement over time.

## Contribution

The study provides real-world evidence on medication adherence in chronic venous disease patients using the MMAS-8 scale.

## Key findings

- Mean MMAS-8 scores improved from 6.2 at baseline to 6.7 after 8 weeks.
- Most patients were female, over 50 years old, and had a high BMI.
- Despite some improvement, adherence strategies need further development.

## Abstract

Chronic venous disease (CVeD) affects millions of patients globally, being a multifactorial progressive condition that significantly impacts the quality of life of individuals. Micronized Purified Flavonoid Fraction (MPFF) is the most utilized and studied venoactive drug because of its safety and effectiveness. This study is a real-world, prospective, observational, multicenter cohort study including patients diagnosed with CVeD who were receiving one tablet of MPFF 1000 mg/day for at least one month and who visited medical facilities in Romania in June–July 2022. We aimed to assess their adherence to pharmacological treatment. The intensity of CVeD symptoms was assessed with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), while adherence to conservative treatment was evaluated using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) at study inclusion (Visit 1 (V1)) and 8 weeks later, at the study’s end (Visit 3 (V3)). This study recruited 1267 patients diagnosed with CVeD, and the statistical analysis set included 1200 patients, the majority of whom were female (71.5%), ≥51 years old (81.8%), and overweight (41.2%) or obese (33.8%), with a mean Body Mass Index (BMI) value (±SD) of 28.9 ± 5.1 kg/m2, classified using the Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical, and Pathophysiological (CEAP) clinical categories as CEAP C3 (38.7%) and C2 (22.6%) at baseline. Mean MMAS-8 scores increased from 6.2 ± 1.9 (V1) to 6.7 ± 1.7 (V3) (p < 0.001). Despite improvement in treatment adherence throughout this study, novel strategies are needed to improve medication adherence and overall health outcomes in CVeD.