title: What factors contribute to the inadequate control of elevated blood pressure?
abstract: Inadequate control of blood pressure may be attributed to both provider-related and patient-related factors. Health care provider-related factors may include an excessive reliance on monotherapy and reluctance to increase drug doses or add additional antihypertensive agents to the treatment regimen. The primary patient-related factor is nonadherence with the prescribed antihypertensive medication. Although the high cost of therapy is sometimes a reason for poor adherence, drug side effects or dosing considerations may be more important factors. Better adherence with antihypertensive medication is associated with a significantly greater likelihood of achieving blood pressure control and, consequently, with lower costs and reduced utilization of health care resources. Therefore, strategies that improve long-term adherence should be adopted. Single-pill, or fixed-dose, combination therapy is one approach that improves adherence, while also providing the antihypertensive efficacy needed to help patients achieve their blood pressure goals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush Medical College of Rush University at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612-3244, USA. william_elliot@rush.edu
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011306:Prescription Fees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations