title: Improved blood pressure control by monitoring compliance with antihypertensive therapy.
abstract: Compliance with antihypertensive therapy was monitored for three months using an electronic medication dispenser in 35 patients remaining hypertensive despite the once-daily administration of a blood pressure lowering drug (either as monotherapy or as fixed-dose combination therapy). During the monitoring of compliance, the treatment was unchanged but blood pressure decreased significantly (p < 0.001) from 167.9/100.4 +/- 16.3/7.2 mmHg (mean +/- SD) to 152.5/90.9 +/- 20.9/11.5 mmHg. The percentage of days with one opening per day was 80.8 +/- 20.5. Thus, discussing with the patient about compliance with the prescribed drug regimen and monitoring compliance for a few months allows better control of blood pressure. This most likely reflects increased compliance with antihypertensive drug therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hypertension and Vascular Medicine, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waeber
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vetter
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Darioli
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Brunner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D015924:Blood Pressure Monitors; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents