Profiles of patients who control the doses of their antihypertensive drugs by self-monitoring of home blood pressure.
The present study profiled patients who control doses of antihypertensive drugs by themselves based on self-monitoring of their blood pressure (self-controllers). A total of 1,028 consecutive outpatients who were taking antihypertensive drugs and who were attending the cardiovascular outpatient clinic of our institute responded to a questionnaire in 1998. They were asked how often they measured their blood pressure, how often they missed taking their medication, and whether or not they had a chance to adjust the doses of antihypertensive drugs by themselves based on self-monitored blood pressure. The frequency of self-controlling of antihypertensive drugs was also examined in 918 patients on antihypertensive drugs in 1997. In 1997, 23 of 918 patients (2.5%) were self-controllers, and 26 of 1,028 patients (2.5%) were self-controllers in 1998. The frequency of home blood-pressure measurement was significantly greater in self-controllers than in the remaining patients (non self-controllers) (p<0.01). The prevalence of proteinuria was significantly less in the former than in the latter. Prior to the start of antihypertensive drugs, blood pressure was significantly lower for the self-controllers (154.4+/-3.8/96.4+/-1.4 mmHg) than for the non self-controllers (169.3+/-0.7/101.7+/-0.4 mmHg) (p<0.001). Clinically measured blood pressures did not differ significantly between the self-controllers and non self-controllers. Thus, about 2.5% of patients on antihypertensive drugs controlled their drug doses by themselves based on self-monitoring of their blood pressure. These patients were characterized by having a milder form of hypertension and by more frequent home blood-pressure measurement than non self-controllers.
Ashida
T
T
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Institute for Adult Diseases Asahi Life Foundation, Tokyo, Japan. t-ashida@asahi-life.or.jp
Yokoyama
S
S
Ebihara
A
A
Sugiyama
T
T
Fujii
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012646:Self Administration
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents