title: [Relationship between regular attendance to ambulatory appointments and blood pressure control among hypertensive patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to determine the rate of hypertensive patients with controlled BP (BP < 140 x 90 mmHg) and to study its relationship with regular attendance to ambulatory appointments.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 245 medical records from patients followed up at the Unidade Clínica de Hipertensão Arterial (Clinical Unit of Arterial Hypertension) HCFMRP-USP for a period of one year were randomly and retrospectively reviewed. The patients were classified as assiduous (A) and as regularly absent to scheduled appointments (F), with the second group being defined as those who failed to appear longer than 30 days after the scheduled appointment. The mean of three measurements prior to the date of the scheduled appointment was calculated to determine the rate of patients with controlled BP. Compliance with the treatment was inferred through a questionnaire applied by the nurse team before the appointment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the 245 patients analyzed, 220 were classified as A (89.7%) and 25 (10.3%) as F. Group A patients showed a higher rate of BP control than F patients (30% vs. 8%, p = 0.02, Fischer exact test). Compliance with pharmacological treatment was higher in A patients than in F patients (91% vs. 56 %, p < 0.05) as well as to non-pharmacological treatment (63% vs. 44%, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the rate of blood pressure control was low in the population studied, lower compliance with the treatment and BP control was observed in individuals who usually missed the scheduled appointments.
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP. ebcoelho@fmrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Eduardo Barbosa
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moysés Neto
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palhares
authors.forename: Maria Camila de Miranda
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Tufik José Magalhães
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Geleilete
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nobre
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires