[Characteristics of cerebral and peripheral vasodilators consumption in primary care]

To discover the characteristics of the patient consuming cerebral and peripheral vasodilators and the factors contributing to their consumption.

A descriptive non-random study of a crossover type.

Primary Care.

All the patients on four General medical lists who consumed cerebral and peripheral vasodilators.

204 patients took the drugs under study. In 58.8% of cases the prescription came from a General Practitioner; 65.2% had taken them for over two years. The main reason for prescription was "feeling sick." In 19.9% of cases there were clinical notes or a specialist's report about the diagnosis that gave rise to the prescription. 80% of patients were receiving more than one medication; 18% took a prepared multi-component medication. 20.6% considered that the drug was ineffective and 53.9% took it at an infratherapeutic dosage. The most commonly consumed pharmacological group was the Ergotamins.

The majority of vasodilators are prescribed to treat non-specific symptoms in elderly patients taking several medicines. The use of these drugs should be tailored to the individual, implying an attempt to reach the most concrete diagnosis possible and to evaluate the risk/benefit relationship of the prescription. The performance of well-designed clinical trials to demonstrate conclusively the efficacy of vasodilators would be desirable.