Medication Adherence of Older Adults with Hypertension: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Hypertension (HTN) is a major global health concern, increasing stroke and heart disease risks, especially in older adults.
• Antihypertensive medications are crucial for blood pressure control and complication prevention.
• Low medication adherence rates in older adults with HTN pose a significant challenge to effective disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify and synthesize factors influencing medication adherence in older adults diagnosed with hypertension.
• To provide evidence-based insights for developing targeted interventions to improve adherence.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search using PRISMA guidelines across PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar (July 2022).
• Convergent integrated analysis framework from the Joanna Briggs Institute for data synthesis.
• Inclusion of 13 studies after screening 448 initial articles.

Main Results:

• Fifteen themes influencing medication adherence were identified.
• Most prevalent factors include: number of medications (53.9%), financial status (38.5%), sex (38.5%), age (30.1%), disease duration (23.1%), comorbidities (23.1%), and health compliance (23.1%).
• Other identified themes include education, health literacy, beliefs, self-efficacy, and social support.

Conclusions:

• Findings underscore critical areas for developing innovative, evidence-based programs to enhance medication adherence in hypertensive older adults.
• Improved adherence can lead to better health outcomes and prevention of serious complications associated with hypertension.