title: Alcohol, patient compliance and blood pressure control in hypertensive patients.
abstract: The association of self-reported use of alcohol with blood pressure and compliance with antihypertensive medication was studied in a randomly selected population sample in eastern Finland. We found a positive correlation between reported use of alcohol and diastolic blood pressure level and a negative correlation with the reduction of diastolic blood pressure during a five-year treatment. These correlations were independent of age, gender, and blood pressure level 5 years earlier. The use of alcohol was associated, especially in men, with poor compliance with antihypertensive medication. In addition to a possible direct contribution to high blood pressure, alcohol intake resulted in an inadequate control of blood pressure in male hypertensive patients by lowering patient compliance.
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000431:Ethanol