The purpose of this study was to evaluate the compliance rate to long term therapy, the rate of adequate blood pressure control, and to determine the reasons for noncompliance among a group attending a hypertension clinic.
This study was a retropective observational study performed by record review. Records of 200 patients were reviewed to assess compliance to clinic attendance, baseline blood pressure after one year of treatment, and cost of treatment including
treatment
fees, laboratory fees, and medication costs. Noncompliant patients were contacted to determine the reason for noncompliance. Of the 189 hypertensives. 41(22%) failed to keep their first follow-up appointment and 148(78%) began long term
treatment.
At
the of one year, 112 patients were still attending the clinic on a regular basis and reported compliance to taking medication (59% of the total number of hypertensives evaluated and 76% of those that began long term treatment). Raseline mean
blood
pressure was 179±25/107±15mm Hg and blood pressure at one year was 145±21/91±12mm Hg. Of the 112 compliant to long treatment. 72(64%) had a diastolic blood pressure below 95mm Hg at one year.
This study demonstrates compliance rates similar to studies on other countries where patient education and other techniques have been applied. Efforts to improve hypertension patients compliance to long term therapy need to continue, especially
in
Korea
and other Asian countries where cerebrevascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality
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