Patient-perceived side effects to antihypertensive drugs

The Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program (HDFP) used two methods to collect data on drug side effects. First, questions were asked during annual home visits by nontherapist interviewers, and second, responses were elicited by questionnaire at each clinic visit. Frequency of side effects as reported by the participants was similar in stepped care and referred care participants. Among the stepped care participants attending clinic, 75 percent continued to report at least one of the side effects reported at baseline. New symptoms (not previously reported) were less frequent, reported by 14 percent. Although medications were discontinued in 17 percent of the HDFP participants due to side effects, less than 2 percent of those reporting side effects had their drug discontinued for the symptom they reported. We concluded that questionnaire-elicited reports of drug side effects are a relatively poor index of side effects.