title: [Self-medication among black African hypertensive patients: Factors and consequences].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Self-medication practice is under-evaluated among black African hypertensive patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the level of self-medication among black African hypertensive patients and to determine the factors favoring this practice and their consequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study during a 3-month period including 612 hypertensive patients followed in Abidjan cardiology institute.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 55.1. The patients had a self-medication use in 60.1% of cases. Medicinal plants and derived products were commonly involved. Self-medication use reasons were: influence of relatives (89.8%) and the fear of antihypertensive drugs adverses effects (54.9%). Multivariate analysis shows that factors of self-medication were age (56.6 years vs. 50.3 years, P<0.001), income less than 762 euros/month (88% vs. 75.4%; OR=2.73; 95% CI: 1.62-4.6; P<0,0001), obesity (70.4% vs. 35.6%; OR=1.24; 95% CI: 0.75-1.15; P=0.037), dyslipidemia (40.8% vs. 27.9%; OR=6.72; 95% CI: 0.57-2.13; P=0.043), antihypertensive association therapy (61.7% vs. 51.4%; OR=2.27; 95% CI: 0.25-0.97; P=0.037). Poor control of high blood pressure (HBP) was a consequence of self-medication (6.5% vs. 47.1%; OR=10.27; 95% CI: 4.65-56.4; P=0.034), repercussions of HBP on major organ (75% vs. 17.2%; OR=12.9; 95% CI: 8.5-19.6; P=0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-medication is a common practice in African hypertensive patients. It has many consequences.
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Electronic address: koninchristophe@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Konin
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boka
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ekou
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Essam-N'loo
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soya
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koffi
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: N'djessan
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bamba-Kamagaté
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie d'Abidjan, USIC, boulevard de Marseille, Abidjan BPV 2006, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adoh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012651:Self Medication
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Afrique subsaharienne; Automédication; High blood pressure; Hypertension artérielle; Self-medication; Traditional medicine