抄録
We studied the anxiety about medications of 33 patients who were taking corticosteroids (CS) orally for more than two weeks, including 17 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 16 patients with the other autoimmune diseases, bronchial asthma, or toxicoderma, and so on. The mean age was 59.5 years in the RA group and 63.8 years in the non-RA group. The mean dosage of CS was 7.4 mg/day (prednisolone equivalent) in the RA group, and 17.8 mg/day in the non-RA group. The mean duration of CS medication was 9.9 years in the RA group, and 1.2 years in the non-RA group.
Ninety-nine percent of patients in both groups thought that the medication was necessary for their treatment, however more than 50% patients were scared by medication and 18-25% patients felt stress from taking medicine. Eighty-eight percent of RA patients were concerned about the adverse effects of CS and 65% of them answered that they felt more than one adverse effect.
Patients of both groups were concerned about osteoporosis caused by CS. It was reported that anxiety for the adverse effects diminished adherence of medication. Strategies to improve adherence could include reducing fear of adverse effects and the adoption of a patient-oriented team approach.
