Factors Associated with Non‐adherence to Therapy with Warfarin in a Population of Chronic Heart Failure Patients

Background Adherence to heart failure therapy is important in reducing morbidity and mortality over the course of the disease process. The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with non-adherence to warfarin in chronic heart failure patients. Methods Eighty patients receiving warfarin therapy in 2002 were included. Adherence was defined as maintenance of international normalized ratio (INR) between 2 and 3.5 and keeping scheduled appointments for INR checks at least 75% of the time. Clinical variables examined included age, gender, race, insurance, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), etiology, New York heart association (NYHA) class, comorbidities, smoking, and alcohol use. Results Of 80 patients studied, 59 were male with mean age ( ± standard deviation) 52 ± 13 years, 24 had ischemic etiology with mean LVEF of 24% ± 9%. Non-adherence was associated with tobacco use, odds ratio of 6.5 (p