Relation between insufficient response to antihypertensive treatment and poor compliance with treatment: a prospective case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively compare compliance with treatment in patients with hypertension responsive to treatment versus patients with treatment resistant hypertension.


METHODS
Prospective case-control study.


METHODS
Outpatient department in a large city hospital in Switzerland, providing primary, secondary, and tertiary care.


METHODS
110 consecutive medical outpatients with hypertension and taking stable treatment with at least two antihypertensive drugs for at least four weeks.


METHODS
Treatment compliance assessed with MEMS devices; blood pressure determined by 12 hour daytime ambulatory monitoring (pressure <135/85 mm Hg in patients aged </=60 years and <155/90 mm Hg in patients aged >60 indicated hypertension responsive to treatment).


RESULTS
Complete data were available for 103 patients, of whom 86 took >/=80% of their prescribed doses ("compliant") and 17 took <80% ("non-compliant"). Of the 49 patients with treatment resistant hypertension, 40 (82%) were compliant, while 46 (85%) of the 54 patients responsive to treatment were compliant.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-compliance with treatment was not more prevalent in patients with treatment resistant hypertension than in treatment responsive patients.
Nuesch
R
R
Outpatient Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, CH-4031 Basle, Switzerland.
Schroeder
K
K
Dieterle
T
T
Martina
B
B
Battegay
E
E
D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016312:Treatment Refusal
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents