This study examined factors associated with persistence (time from initiation to discontinuation of treatment) on initial antiretroviral (ARV) therapy in commercially insured HIV patients in the United States, a population not well researched. This retrospective analysis of US health insurance claims data from 1 January 2003 to 30 June 2008 included treatment-naive patients aged 18-65 years wit...

BACKGROUND In multiple sclerosis (MS), treatment discontinuation leads to a higher risk of relapse, poorer quality of life and greater economic impact. OBJECTIVE The objective of this work is to evaluate treatment discontinuation in MS, the reasons for this and the reasons for treatment resumption. METHODS A French national Web-based survey was carried out between May and August 2011. A tot...

BACKGROUND Metoclopramide use is associated with serious and potentially irreversible neurologic side effects. However, it is often used for questionable or unclear indications in clinical practice. OBJECTIVES To (1) determine whether an intervention targeted at the prescribing physician would increase the rate of metoclopramide discontinuation among patients prescribed the medication for que...

BACKGROUND Premature discontinuation of treatment impacts outcomes of clinical practice. The traditional perception has been patient discontinuation is mainly driven by unwanted side effects. Systematic analysis of data from clinical trials across several disease states was performed to identify predictors of premature discontinuation during clinical interventions. METHODS A post hoc analysis...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of resumption of second line drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that flared after treatment discontinuation. METHODS RA patients were studied whose RA flared up after discontinuation of second line treatment while being in remission and who received a second course of the drug. Disease activity parameters were prospectively assessed at the time of ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS To evaluate drug survival of the tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors (TNFi) and risk factors for the drug discontinuation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 487 AS patients at a single tertiary hospital. Among the TNFi users, drug survival and risk factors of TNFi discontinuation were investigated. RESULTS Among 487 patients, 12...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of benzodiazepine consumption in European countries remains at 2-3% of the general population despite the well-documented disadvantages of long-term use. AIMS To review systematically the success rates of different benzodiazepine discontinuation strategies. METHOD Meta-analysis of comparable intervention studies. RESULTS Twenty-nine articles met inclusion criteri...

BACKGROUND Despite large-scale dissemination and implementation efforts of evidence-based psychotherapy to veterans from Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF), little is known regarding the factors that contribute to the successful completion of these treatments in this high-risk population. The present study investigated predictors of treatment completion during a standardized exposure-ba...

High contraceptive discontinuation results in millions of women having an unmet need for contraception. However, its contribution to unintended fertility is not known. Reproductive calendar data in Demographic and Health Surveys in 36 countries are used to estimate the percent of unintended recent births attributable to contraceptive discontinuation. Contraceptive discontinuation accounted for ...

Since nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUC) can lead to rapid reduction in HBV DNA levels in blood and normalization of alanine aminotransferase levels in many patients. They also provide histological improvement which results in a reduction in liver carcinogenesis. However, it is difficult to completely remove viruses even by NUCs and there are some problems such as emergence of resistant strains and ...