Up to one-third of patients who have experienced an ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, or a TIA, discontinue preventive medications within the first year after the event, according to the largest Australian study of its kind. 

In the study, presented at a stroke conference in mid-September, researchers found four out of five patients were dispensed one or more antihypertensive, antithrombotic or lipid-lowering medications post-stroke, but many abandoned the drugs within months.  

“Most patients utilise these recommended secondary preventions after stroke but only about half of them fully adhere … and up to a third discontinue them,” said lead researcher Dr Monique Kilkenny (PhD), a senior research fellow at Monash Health in Melbourne.

Discontinuation was defined as the first 90-day gap without a medication supply.