title: Drug control of hypertension in primary health care centers-registered patients, Al-khobar, saudi arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the quality of the pharmacological control of hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary health care centers-registered hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary health care centers in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was recorded, using a structured questionnaire, through direct interviewing of patients, and from their medical records. It included demographic characteristics, hypertension related, and doctors'-related variables; and patients' utilization of other health facilities and whether they had other chronic diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of patients with controlled hypertension was 37%. It was significantly increased with age below 55 years, with non-Saudis, duration of treatment shorter than 5 years; and with the use of monotherapy. Doctors' care-related variables did not show significant variation with the number of controlled patients which may imply that the quality of follow-up might not be adequate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proportion of controlled patients cared for in the PHC centers is low. The factors associated with control were age, and the use of a single antihypertensive drug. The study questions the quality of follow-up of patients by the PHC physicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine & Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Elzubier
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Al-Shahri