Following a stroke, many patients are prescribed medications like blood thinners to reduce the risk of subsequent events. However, a recent analysis revealed that a higher proportion of women than men fail to adhere to their post-stroke medication regimens, with Mexican American women being the least compliant.

This study, published in December 2024 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, aimed to investigate how factors such as gender, ethnicity, and marital status influence medication adherence among stroke patients, addressing a gap in existing research on this important issue.

“Stroke remains a major public health challenge, with an estimated 7.6 million adult stroke survivors in the United States.1 Women bear a disproportionate burden of stroke than men, including more recurrent strokes, higher risk of death, and more severe disability after stroke,” noted the study.

The study involved interviewing 1,324 stroke patients, primarily Mexican American (58%), about their medication use 90 days post-stroke. Findings indicated that 11.5 percent of participants did not adhere to their prescriptions, with women showing a higher nonadherence rate.

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“Sex differences in nonadherence to medications need to be addressed, with a particular focus on Mexican American women, to prevent recurrent strokes for both sexes,” read the study.

“We were surprised by the magnitude of the differences in medication-taking behaviors between men and women, especially among Mexican American women,” said study co-author Chen Chen in a press release.

Mexican American men were found to be three times more likely to take their medications compared to their female counterparts.

“Poststroke medication nonadherence was more prevalent among women than men. This was partially due to the confounding effects of lifestyle, marital status, and access to care, suggesting potential subgroups for interventions to improve adherence,” reported the study.

Factors such as marital status and caregiver responsibilities also affected adherence, with older married women reporting lower compliance.

The results suggest the need for targeted interventions to improve medication adherence among Mexican American women, especially those in caregiving roles.