aderenza

Aderenza is a term used in Italian to denote the property of sticking or clinging, and it is used to describe both physical adhesion between surfaces and behavioral commitment to a plan, regimen, or norm. In scientific and medical contexts, aderenza refers to the capacity of materials, cells, or people to maintain contact or compliance.

In medicine, aderenza terapeutica describes the degree to which a patient follows prescribed treatments, including dosage, timing, and duration. Adequate aderenza is linked to better clinical outcomes, while poor aderenza can lead to treatment failure and higher costs. Aderenza can be assessed through self-report, pharmacy refill data, electronic monitoring, and pill counts. Contributing factors include patient beliefs about illness and therapy, side effects, regimen complexity, access to care, and health literacy. Interventions to improve aderenza include regimen simplification, reminders, education, behavioral support, and involving caregivers.

In biology, cellular aderenza refers to the attachment of cells to other cells or to the extracellular matrix, mediated by adhesion molecules such as integrins and cadherins. Adequate aderenza is essential for development, tissue maintenance, wound healing, and immune function; dysregulated adhesion is linked to cancer progression and inflammatory diseases.

In materials science and engineering, adhesion describes the attraction between dissimilar materials, influencing coatings, adhesives, bonding interfaces, and surface treatments. Adhesion strength depends on surface energy, cleanliness, roughness, temperature, and chemical compatibility, and is evaluated by tests such as peel, shear, and pull-off measurements.