title: Self-reported side-effects of antihypertensive drugs: an epidemiological study on prevalence and impact on health-state utility.
abstract: The aim in this study was to assess the frequency and type of self-reported side-effects among hypertensives in a general population, and to estimate the relationship between drug use and side-effects and health utility using the Rating Scale (RS) method. The study is based on a postal questionnaire that was sent to a random sample of 8000 inhabitants aged 20-84 years (response rate 68%) in Uppsala County, Sweden, in 1995. The results showed that nearly 20% of the users of antihypertensive drugs reported side-effects. Men and women reported side-effects to nearly the same extent. In the linear regression analyses, those with hypertension, with or without medication, rated lower health utilities (-6.0 and -7.1 respectively) than did normotensives after controlling for age and sex. The lowest value, -8.7, was found among drug users who experienced side-effects. Side-effects causing impotence and emotional distress, i.e. insomnia, tiredness and depression had the strongest negative impact on health utility. To conclude, the study showed that side-effects among hypertensives are common. Both the disease and the drug treatment adversely affect the patient's well-being. However, drug treatment was of less importance than that found in prior studies. The findings here stress that side-effects should be taken into greater consideration when evaluating drug treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Services Research, Uppsala University, Sweden. Carola.Bardage@samfarm.uu.se
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bardage
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Isacson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents