Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) — American adults with epilepsy who are black or Hispanic are less likely than white adults to be prescribed the latest medications, new study finds .
“Finding the right medication is often an individualized, trial-and-error process, but studies have shown that using newer medications improves outcomes, and that some newer medications have fewer side effects. study author Wyatt Bensken. Case in Cleveland, Ohio He is a Western Health Disparity Investigator at Reserve University.
“These results indicate that a significant proportion of people may not receive optimal treatment, and the differences reflect apparent racial and ethnic inequalities in care. It seems so.
Researchers investigated this issue using Medicaid data for adults in 15 states who prescribed at least two antiepileptic drugs between 2010 and 2014.
This included over 78,000 adults, including 17,700 Blacks, over 9,300 Hispanics, and 1,100 Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders.
Data showed that 26% used older first-generation drugs such as carbamazepine, phenytoin and valproic acid. Another 65% used newer second-generation drugs such as gabapentin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam and zonisamide. was using the drug. Overall, 9% were using newer third-generation agents such as lacosamide and perampanel.
Investigators found that, overall, 66% of whites were prescribed second-generation drugs, compared with 64% of black and Hispanic patients and 56% of Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander patients. I discovered that it was
According to a report published online Jan. 11 in Neurology Clinical Practice, approximately 11% of Caucasian patients are prescribed third-generation medications, compared to Hispanic or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander patients. 10% for blacks and 6% for blacks.
Studies have found that people who see a neurologist for treatment are more likely to be prescribed new medications than those who do not see a neurologist.
The researchers then adjusted for other factors, such as epilepsy severity and other health conditions and injuries that might influence prescription choices. They found that blacks were still 29% less likely than whites to be prescribed a new drug, while Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders were 23% less likely and Hispanics 7% less likely. low.
The study also found that people taking only second-generation drugs were more likely to take all their medications as prescribed.
“Further research is needed to understand these differences and the mechanisms behind them, but these critical gaps in care represent disparities that can be addressed and that require greater attention.” There is a possibility.
“Possible changes include increasing referrals to neurologists and investigating whether newer drugs are as effective as older ones but have fewer side effects. It may increase your chances of taking all doses.
People not receiving treatment for epilepsy were not included in the study. This is an important limitation. Even greater inequities in care may be revealed when people who are not receiving treatment are evaluated, the study authors note.
This research was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health.
For more information
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information about epilepsy.
Source: American Neurological Association, news release, 11 January 2023
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