Compliance and its determinants to pharmacologic management of hypertension

Background: Compliance to medications and lifestyle modifications is important in the management of hypertension. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to measure the compliance and its determinants to pharmacological management of hypertension. Material & Methods: A population based cross sectional survey was conducted among 221 known hypertensives in medical college health unit area of urban Trivandrum. Results: Mean age of the study subjects was 64.6 yrs (SD 10.6). The overall compliance with antihypertensives was 62.4%. Male gender, joint/extended family type, family support, co-morbidities, once daily regimen, awareness about the BP control status and adequacy of BP control were the predictors of good compliance. The barriers to compliance were alcohol abuse, out of pocket expenditure and more number of pills/day. Conclusion: Drug compliance among the study population was low compared to previous studies. Low drug compliance and poor blood pressure control among the hypertensives in the area warrants immediate actions to prevent the development of complications. The burden of morbidity and mortality due to hypertension and related complications on the family and health system will be immense if the situation is left unattended