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Antihypertensive medication use, adherence, stops, and starts in Canadians with hypertension

Marianne E Gee1, Norm R C Campbell, Femida Gwadry-Sridhar

  • 1Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The Canadian Journal of Cardiology
|April 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Most Canadians with diagnosed hypertension use antihypertensive medications as prescribed. Adherence is high, but optimizing drug treatment requires better self-management and standardized medication instructions for blood pressure control.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Public Health
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Barriers to blood pressure control include underprescription and poor adherence to antihypertensive medications.
  • Understanding medication use patterns is crucial for managing hypertension.
  • Self-reported data provides insights into patient behavior and treatment adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine antihypertensive medication use and adherence among Canadians with diagnosed hypertension.
  • To identify factors associated with starting, stopping, or adhering to antihypertensive medication.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of self-reported data from 6017 Canadians with diagnosed hypertension from 2008 and 2009 surveys.
  • Examined medication use, reasons for non-adherence, and factors influencing treatment patterns.

Main Results:

  • 82% of individuals with hypertension reported using antihypertensive medications.
  • Primary reasons for not taking medications were lack of prescription (42%) or controlled blood pressure (45%).
  • High adherence (89%) was reported among those taking medications, with 10% occasionally missing doses. Factors like recent diagnosis and lack of home monitoring were linked to lower medication use.

Conclusions:

  • Most Canadians with diagnosed hypertension take and adhere to their antihypertensive medications, aligning with high hypertension control rates.
  • Implementing self-management strategies and standardized medication instructions can further improve drug treatment outcomes.
  • Addressing barriers to prescription and promoting adherence are key to optimizing hypertension management.
Abstract

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