Are we treating enough patients for hypertension?

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Pharmacology

Background:

• International comparisons reveal significant variations in antihypertensive drug prescription intensity.
• The District of Novi Sad, Yugoslavia, exhibits notably low antihypertensive drug utilization.
• Hypertension prevalence does not fully account for these observed differences in therapeutic intensity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate current practices in hypertension management within a specific community.
• To assess the adequacy of antihypertensive drug prescription volumes relative to patient needs.

Main Methods:

• A community-based study involving 6017 inhabitants, with 756 identified as hypertensive patients.
• Quantified antihypertensive medication intensity using defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day.
• Classified patients requiring therapy based on age-adjusted blood pressure thresholds and receipt of minimum therapeutic doses.

Main Results:

• Antihypertensive drug intensity in Novi Sad is considerably lower than in Nordic countries.
• The volume of prescribed drugs, while low, appears nearly adequate for patients meeting defined criteria for drug therapy.
• Borderline hypertension cases were excluded from the assessment of drug therapy needs.

Conclusions:

• The current volume of antihypertensive drug prescription in Novi Sad, though low internationally, may be sufficient for indicated patients.
• Further investigation into the management of borderline hypertension is warranted.
• Optimizing antihypertensive drug therapy requires careful consideration of both prevalence and treatment intensity.