title: Effect of pharmaceutical care on blood pressure control and health-related quality of life in patients with resistant hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Verification of whether pharmacotherapeutic follow-up improves arterial blood pressure (BP) was conducted, and whether this improvement alters the quality of life of patients with resistant hypertension in a university teaching hospital in Brazil was determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective survey of 44 patients was carried out over a period of 20 months. Each patient was followed up for 12 months. Pharmaceutical care was assessed using the following methods: measurement of the office BP and ambulatory BP monitoring, adherence to therapy, drug-related problems, and the use of health care facilities (urgent care visits and hospital admissions). The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients was also assessed using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire and a physical symptoms profile.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority (95.5%) of patients adhered to the treatment throughout the study, and there was a significant reduction in BP (p < 0.05). Nearly all of the domains of HRQOL assessed by SF-36 remained unchanged during the follow-up except for a significant improvement in social functioning (p = 0.041). There was a significant reduction in moderate and severe physical symptoms (p = 0.005). There were also significant reductions in the number of urgent care visits (p = 0.0001) and hospital admissions (p = 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pharmaceutical care provided by a pharmacist in an ambulatory care clinic in Brazil improved BP, adherence to antihypertensive medications, and the social functioning of patients with resistant hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil. walne23@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Walnéia Aparecida
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yugar-Toledo
authors.forename: Gun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bergsten-Mendes
authors.forename: Maricene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabha
authors.forename: Heitor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life