Influence of living style and situation on the compliance of taking antihypertensive agents in patients with essential hypertension.
BACKGROUND
As the reason for insufficient control of blood pressure (BP), poor compliance of taking antihypertensive agents is an important issue. In Japan, no prospective study on the compliance of antihypertensive agents has been done. In this study we prospectively investigated the details of the relationship between the compliance of taking antihypertensive agents and living style and situation in hypertensive patients.


METHODS
We prospectively examined 121 outpatients with essential hypertension treated with antihypertensive agents for 12 months. Using an oral interview based on the questionnaire sheet, the factors about living style and situations which worsen the compliance were assessed. Also we evaluated the relationship of BP control and season, which was compared between patients with poor compliance and those with good compliance.


RESULTS
As for the background of the poor compliance, many factors related to the patients' living style and situation were clarified. On average for 12 months the levels of the compliance and BP showed a significant negative correlation and BP was significantly higher in patients with poor compliance than those with good compliance. However, in the summer season BP did not differ between patients with poor and good compliance,


CONCLUSIONS
Many factors regarding the patients' living style and situation were related to poor compliance. The development of strategy that changes these factors is a future task for improving compliance. This study may also imply that unnecessary antihypertensive agents are prescribed in some patients with poor compliance in the summer season. Determination of the suitable prescription by which to attain optimal individual patients' compliance is important in the treatment of hypertensive patients.
Mizuno
Reiko
R
Department of General Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara.
Fujimoto
Shinichi
S
Uesugi
Atsushi
A
Danno
Daisuke
D
Maeda
Kouichi
K
Kanno
Masatoshi
M
Matsumura
Masahiko
M
Fujimoto
Takashi
T
Nakamura
Shinobu
S
D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D007564:Japan; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents