Antihypertensive drug-prescribing patterns of internists and family physicians

Surveys that evaluated antihypertensive drug-prescribing patterns were mailed to 150 family physicians and 150 primary care internists. The initial mailing was followed by a telephone follow-up and a second mailing. Forty-seven percent of family physicians and 41.9% of the internists who were still in practice returned the questionnaire. When asked about their choice of antihypertensive drug therapy for specific patients (based upon age, race, sex, and coexisting disease), the responses of the two specialties were similar. The only statistically significant difference was observed in the responses for a 58-year-old obese white woman with diabetes and renal impairment. In this example, the family physicians were more likely than internists to recommend an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or a beta-blocker (P = .036). This study demonstrates that the majority of physicians individualized initial therapy for hypertension to the specific patient rather than strictly following a stepped-care approach with diuretics or beta-blockers as initial therapy.