The deteriorating health of the general population and the increasing prevalence of chronic disease combine to present a problem of global proportions whose causes are both multifactorial and complex. The consumer society we live in does not encourage healthy living, and the consequences are even most devastating when social inequalities, the economic situation and the population explosion in recent decades are taken into account. The growth of poor eating habits, obesity, and hypertension are relentlessly contributing to the development of an epidemic of cardiovascular disease. In this context, the ability of national and international bodies and regulatory agencies to have an effect on commercial interests is very limited and alternative ways of reducing the disease burden are needed. Recent studies on patient compliance with lifestyle changes and on adherence to prescribed medication have produced alarming findings. Over 50% of patients, on average, choose to abandon the treatment they have been prescribed, and the percentage that achieve the targets proposed for improving habitual behaviors (e.g. quitting smoking, losing weight or increasing physical activity) is similar or lower. It is essential that solutions to these problems are found because, in addition to their implications for the health of the individual, poor compliance and adherence threaten to undermine the relevance of clinical study findings and are associated with substantial economic costs, given that they result in the failure to achieve therapeutic goals and increase rates of hospitalization and death. Improved communication between doctors and patients, the active participation of other health professionals and the development of combination drug formulations (e.g. the polypill) appear to be the most promising strategies for improving patient adherence to treatment and reducing the economic burden.
Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Espana.