Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug treatment of patients with peripheral arterial disease: an observational cross-sectional study

• Published in: Jornal vascular brasileiro 2021-01, Vol.20, p.e20210021-e20210021
• Main Authors: Braghieri, Heloisa Amaral, Correia, Marília de Almeida, de Carvalho, Juliana Ferreira, Longano, Paulo, Wolosker, Nelson, Cucato, Gabriel Grizzo, Ritti-Dias, Raphael Mendes, Kanegusuku, Hélcio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 1677-5449; 1677-7301
• DOI: 10.1590/1677-5449.210021

The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a negative impact on the population's behavior. In this context, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug treatment of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and intermittent claudication (IC) remains unclear. To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug treatment of patients with PAD and IC. In this cross-sectional, observational study, 136 patients with PAD and IC were recruited from our database and answered a questionnaire by telephone involving the following questions: a) precautions related to COVID-19; b) general health status; and c) treatment of diseases. Subsequently, patients were divided into two groups according to difficulty in obtaining their drugs (DOD: difficulty obtaining drugs, or NDOD: no difficulty obtaining drugs) and overall health was compared between groups. Seventeen percent of patients reported difficulties with obtaining drugs during the pandemic. A higher proportion of these patients reported being sadder (56.5% vs. 24.8%, P < 0.01) and having more difficulty sleeping (56.5% vs. 24.8%, P < 0.01) than of the patients in the NDOD group (P 0.05). A higher proportion of patients in the DOD group reported being sadder and having greater difficulty sleeping compared to the NDOD group during the COVID-19 pandemic.