Abstract

BACKGROUND: Maintenance treatment with 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is recommended in ulcerative colitis (UC), but accurate estimates of discontinuation and adherence in adolescents transitioning to young adulthood are lacking. AIM: To determine rates and risk factors for discontinuation and adherence to oral 5-ASA in adolescents and young adults 1 year following diagnosis of UC. DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational cohort study using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink among adolescents and young adults (aged 10-24 years) diagnosed with UC between 1 January 1998 and 1 May 2016. METHOD: Time to oral 5-ASA discontinuation (days) and adherence rates (proportion of days covered) were calculated during the first year of treatment using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Cox regression models were built to estimate the impact of sociodemographic and health-related risk factors. RESULTS: Among 607 adolescents and young adults starting oral 5-ASA maintenance treatment, one-quarter (n = 152) discontinued within 1 month and two- thirds (n = 419) within 1 year. Discontinuation was higher among those aged 18-24 years (74%) than younger age groups (61% and 56% in those aged 10-14 and 15-17 years, respectively). Adherence was lower among young adults than adolescents (69% in those aged 18-24 years versus 80% in those aged 10-14 years). Residents in deprived versus affluent postcodes were more likely to discontinue treatment (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10 to 1.92). Early corticosteroid use for an acute flare lowered the likelihood of oral 5-ASA discontinuation (aHR 0.68, 95% CI = 0.51 to 0.90). CONCLUSION: The first year of starting long-term therapies in adolescents and young adults diagnosed with UC is a critical window for active follow-up of maintenance treatment, particularly in those aged 18-24 years and those living in deprived postcodes.