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Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and blood pressure variability among hypertensive patients aged over 40 years. Methods: The study recruited 120 patients from a cardiology outpatient clinic who had been diagnosed with hypertension and taking antihypertensive medication for at least 6 months. Demographic and clinical information, blood pressure measurements, and blood samples were collected to measure BNP levels. The standard deviation of the mean arterial pressure over 24 hours was calculated as a measure of blood pressure variability. Linear regression was used to examine the association between BNP levels and blood pressure variability while controlling for age, sex, BMI, and medication history. Results: The study found a significant positive association between BNP levels and blood pressure variability (?=0.31, p=0.002), even after controlling for other variables. The linear regression model explained 20% of the variance in blood pressure variability (R2=0.20, F=9.52, p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that higher BNP levels are associated with increased blood pressure variability among hypertensive patients. Further studies are needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and the potential implications of this association.
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Introduction?There is a high prevalence of hypertension in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Information regarding prevalent pattern of antihypertensive medications will help modify it to prevent future cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Materials and Methods?In this cross-sectional study, patients on maintenance hemodialysis, aged ?18 years visiting Nephrology outpatient department (OPD) from April 2019 to May 2020 were included. The patients were divided into two groups based on their dialysis vintage, ?12 months and >12 months. Their antihypertensive medication patterns and two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography (ECHO) findings were compared. Independent t-test was used to compare continuous variables. One-way analysis of variance was used to study the antihypertensive drug-dosing pattern in both the groups. Results?Out of 250 patients, 131 had a dialysis vintage of ?12 months, whereas 119 had a vintage of >12 months. There was no significant difference in the number of antihypertensive agents used in either of the vintage groups. Calcium channel blockers (87.02 and 89.07%, respectively, in ?12 and >12 months' vintage groups) and ? blockers (64.12 and 65.54%, respectively, in ?12 and >12 months' vintage groups) were the commonly used antihypertensive agents. Metoprolol use was higher in ?12 months' group, whereas carvedilol usage was higher in >12 months' group (p?=?0.028). Mean pill burden was more than five in both the groups. Concentric left ventricular hypertrophy was significantly more common in >12 months' group. Renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blocking agent use was limited to 3% of patients. Conclusion?This study shows a high antihypertensive pill burden in dialysis patients likely due to underlying chronic volume overload in addition to the perceived efficacy of certain class of drug in a frequent dosing pattern. Low use of RAS blocking agent was also underlined. This study highlights the need to bring about changes in the antihypertensive prescription pattern in line with the existing evidence
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Background: Hypertension is an important health problem globally. One of the main causes of uncontrolled hypertension is the failure on the part of the patient for not taking the prescribed drugs. Objectives: This study was conducted to study the level of adherence to antihypertensive medication and to determine multiple factors which affect it. Materials and Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the field practice area of the department of community medicine. The study subjects were 700 patients aged 18 years and above diagnosed with hypertension for at least 1 year who had been prescribed antihypertensive treatment. Results: In this study, it was found that of the 700 participants, 57.3% were adherent to antihypertensive drugs. Factors significantly associated with adherence to hypertensive medication included being literate, socioeconomic Classes 1 and 2, taking only one hypertensive medication, monthly cost of drugs <500, being aware of hypertensive complications and complications of not taking drugs regularly, perception of current health status, and knowledge about worsening of health condition on stopping the treatment. Conclusions: Many factors such as literacy, socioeconomic factors, and awareness of consequences impact the adherence to treatment and hence the treatment outcomes. Community support and financial help can improve the same. It is imperative that all hypertensive patients receive repeated counseling to continue therapy. Financial support is an important issue which needs to be addressed.
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Introduction: Very few studies have been successful in assessing the health-related quality of life among diagnosed hypertensive patients attending clinics or hospitals for follow-ups. Since the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia has dedicated a separate webpage to tackle this problem; feedback through community-based studies is needed to ensure proper planning and implementation. Methodology: A community based cross-sectional study was done to find out the correlation between the quality of life and hypertensive patients undergoing treatment in Majmaah, Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 184 participants with a mean age of 57.8 years completed this study. Female participants (26.8%) overwhelmingly rated their quality of life as excellent as compared to male participants (4.9%) even though an equal number of both participants (20.2%) considered it to be good. Conclusion: A longitudinal study is needed to find out this significant difference in the symptomatology of Saudi male and female hypertensive patients on long term medication.
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Background: Hypertension, a common cardiovascular disorder accounts for 20-50% of all deaths. This risk can be greatly ameliorated by creating awareness about disease and its effective treatment alongside regular medical check-ups. Therapeutic failures result from patient non-compliance, manifested as intentional or unintentional errors in dosage or schedule, overuse or underuse of prescribed drugs and early termination of therapy. Adherence is helpful for management of hypertension and cost minimization. Non-adherence to the drug treatment is an important factor for uncontrolled hypertension and its complications.Methods: Patients were interviewed individually after taking informed consent, using pretested, predesigned, self- administered and closed ended questionnaire both before and 4 weeks after creating awareness about hypertension and its complications. Compliance measured by self-reporting in which knowledge of the patient about number of antihypertensive drugs being used, formulations of drugs, frequency of administration, duration of taking the drugs and knowledge of complications due to uncontrolled and untreated hypertension were assigned 1 score each. Patient having score of at least 4 out of total 5 was considered compliant.Results: No significant association of compliance with demographic and other variables like age, sex, marital status, economic status, education, urbanization, duration of treatment and drug procurement were noted. A significant increase in compliance in patients on antihypertensive medication was found 4 weeks after creating awareness about hypertension and its complication. A significant increase in compliance scores was also seen in non-compliant patients showing their shifting from non-compliance to compliance group. Overall compliance increased from 59.38% to 84.38%. A percentage decrease from 58.82% to 25% in patients having uncontrolled hypertension was also observed after the awareness about hypertension.Conclusions: Demographic variables, duration of hypertension and drug procurement have no significant effect on compliance to antihypertensive medication. There is persistence and improvement in compliance to antihypertensive medications after an education of the patients about hypertension and its complications.