[Assessment of adherence to antihypertensive therapy]

Abstract

Background: Lack of adherence with medications is the main cause of antihypertensive treatment failure.

Aim: To assess adherence to antihypertensive drugs and its determinants.

Material and methods: The Morinsky-Green questionnaire to determine treatment adherence was applied to 310 hypertensive patients from primary care centers, aged 60 ± 10 years (65% females) in treatment for 4 ± 1 months. Socio-demographic features, use of medications and quality of life using EQ5D questionnaire were also assessed.

Results: Twenty percent of patients were diabetic and 19% were smokers. Fifty four percent were adherent to therapy. A higher age and being unemployed were associated with a higher compliance. The main reasons to justify the lack of adherence were forgetting to take the pills in 67% and adverse effects in 10%. Only diastolic pressure was lower in adherent patients, compared with their non-adherent counterparts (78 ± 12 and 81 ± 17 mmHg, respectively p < 0.01).

Conclusions: Only half of hypertensive patients comply with their antihypertensive therapy.