title: Antihypertensive medication prescribing patterns in a university teaching hospital.
abstract: Treatment of hypertension among hospitalized patients represents an opportunity to improve blood pressure recognition and treatment. To address this issue, the authors examined patterns of antihypertensive medication prescribing among 5668 hypertensive inpatients. Outcomes were treatment with any antihypertensive medication and treatment with first-line therapy, defined as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, thiazide diuretics, or calcium channel blockers. Logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, race, length of stay, service line, and comorbidity were used for all comparisons. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios for treatment were higher for men (1.4, P<.001), older patients (2.5 for age older than 80 vs 1.0 for age younger than 40; P<.001), non-white race (1.2 vs 1.0 for white race; P<.004), and generalist service line (1.4 vs 1.0 for all other services; P<.001). Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios for receiving first-line agents were higher for older patients and generalist service line. Among surgical patients, receipt of medical consultation was only marginally associated with higher odds of antihypertensive or first-line treatment after adjustment for relevant clinical variables. Demographic factors and service line appear to play a major role in determining the likelihood of inpatient hypertension treatment. Understanding and addressing these disparities has the potential to incrementally improve hypertension control rates in the population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. axon@musc.edu
authors.forename: R Neal
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Axon
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Nietert
authors.forename: Brent M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Egan
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004232:Diuretics