title: Management of patients with uncontrolled arterial hypertension--the role of electronic compliance monitoring, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and Candesartan/HCTZ.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Incomplete drug regimen compliance (DRC) and white-coat hypertension are two of several possible causes of uncontrolled hypertension. Therefore the aim of the present study was to compare DRC in hypertensives treated with combination therapy whose blood pressures (BP) were controlled vers. uncontrolled after 4 weeks of self-monitored BP measurement. To observe the consequences in uncontrolled patients of switching one drug of the combination therapy to candesartan/HCTZ (16 mg/12.5 mg) with and without a compliance intervention program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-and ambulatory-monitoring of BP were done with upper arm oscillometric devices. Patients' dosing histories were compiled electronically (MEMS, AARDEX). Patients with office blood pressure (OBP) >140/90 mmHg despite combination therapy were begun on MEMS monitoring and self BP measurement for 4 weeks of run-in. Of 62 such patients, 18 (29%) patients were normotensive according to self BP measurement and ambulatory BP measurement at 4 weeks (Group A); in the remaining 44 still uncontrolled patients, candesartan/HCTZ was substituted for one of the combination therapy drugs, with half these patients receiving passive compliance monitoring (B) and half a DRC intervention program (C). All groups were then followed for 8 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DRC before week 4 was significantly higher in A than in the uncontrolled patients (B&C). DRC was stable during run-in A, but declined in B and C. DRC after week 4 was not different in the three groups and stayed constant over time. DRC during weekends was lower than during weekdays in all groups. In group A no significant change in blood pressure was observed with all three methods of BP measurements. In groups B and C significant reductions of systolic and diastolic BP were observed for ABPM and SBPM. After the change to candesartan/HCTZ in B&C ambulatory 24-h-BP (ABPM) was normalized in 39% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normalization of BP was associated with superior drug regimen compliance in previously uncontrolled patients treated with a combination drug regimen. Switching still-uncontrolled patients to candesartan/HCTZ significantly improved BP control and stabilized a declining DRC.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. mengden@uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mengden
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vetter
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tousset
authors.forename: Sakir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004582:Electronics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits; D010349:Patient Compliance; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D013777:Tetrazoles; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; C081643:candesartan