Drug compliance among hypertensive patients in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
BACKGROUND
Hypertension contributes significantly to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Adequate blood pressure control would therefore reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, however adequate blood pressure control requires good treatment compliance.


METHODS
One hundred consecutive patients aged 30-79 years attending the cardiac clinic of the medical out-patients clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital were directly questioned about compliance with their antihypertensive drugs and results entered into the questionnaire designed for the study.


RESULTS
Compliance was good in sixty percent (60%) of respondents, fair in twenty nine percent (29%) and poor in eleven percent (11%). Compliance was also found to be good in sixty-seven percent (67%) of patients with tertiary education, good in forty one percent (41%) of those with primary education. Compliance was good in seventy four percent (74%) of those taking one drug, good in only thirty three percent (33%) of those taking four drugs. Patients taking single daily dose drugs had good compliance in seventy percent (70%), twice daily dosing had good compliance in fifty five percent (55%) and among those taking thrice daily dosage, compliance was good in only seventeen percent (17%).


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows that good compliance with anti-hypertensive therapy is best achieved with monotherapy given as single dosage. It also shows the role of education in the level of compliance.
Akpa
M R
MR
Department of Medicine, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
Agomuoh
D I
DI
Odia
O J
OJ
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents