Self-initiated modification of hypertension treatment in response to perceived problems

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of patient-initiated modification of drug instructions and the association between different classes of problems and the modification of hypertension therapy. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, all patients (n = 1215) who had been examined at a hypertension clinic during a 1-year period were surveyed. The response rate to the questionnaire was 85%. Of the 1035 respondents, 623 currently taking antihypertensive medication (self-report) were included in the study. RESULTS: Of the patients taking antihypertensive drugs, 36% admitted that they had tried to manage their condition with a lower dosage and/or fewer drugs than prescribed. The percentage of patients who modified their drug regimen decreased with increasing age. One or more problems with the treatment of hypertension were reported by 79% of the respondents. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for modification among patients who reported 1 or more problems compared with those not reporting any problem was 3.5 (2.12 to 5.67). The prevalence of modification increased with the number of problems; this was seen in all age groups and among men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived problems in drug taking in the treatment of hypertension have an important impact on the prevalence of modifying drug instructions.

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				J. Benson and N. Britten Patients' views about taking antihypertensive drugs: questionnaire study BMJ, June 12, 2003; 326(7402): 1314 - 1315. [Full Text] [PDF]