title: Nonadherence to antihypertensive medications and associated factors in general medicine clinics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nonadherence to antihypertensive medications has not been assessed in the Saudi population. The aim of this study was to address and evaluate the magnitude of nonadherence among hypertensive patients and the risk factors associated with it.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted on hypertensive patients who attended the general internal medicine clinics at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using a questionnaire that was modified after reviewing the literature. Hypertensive patients were labeled as nonadherent if they missed their medications for a total of 7 days during the previous month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 302 patients participated in the study, of whom 63% were females with a mean age of 64 years, and 64% were illiterate. The prevalence of nonadherence to medications among hypertensive patients was found to be 12.3%. Poor disease knowledge was reported in 80% of patients, while 66% of the patients had poor monitoring of their disease. Younger age (≤65 years), poor monitoring, and uncontrolled blood pressure (BP ≥140/90 mmHg) were the predictor factors associated with nonadherence (odds ratio [OR] =2.04, P=0.025; OR=2.39, P=0.004; and OR=2.86, P=0.003, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nonadherence to antihypertensive medications is lower than that previously reported in the literature. Younger age, uncontrolled BP, and poor monitoring are the main risk factors associated with nonadherence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences; King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Ghobain
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences; King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alhashemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aljama
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences; King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bin Salih
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Assiri
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alsomali
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mohamed
keywords: Saudi Arabia; hypertension; nonadherence; uncontrolled blood pressure