Research Paper
Year: 2021 | Month: February | Volume: 8 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 222-227
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20210233
A Study to Assess the Impact of Comorbidities and Polypharmacy in Non-Adherence to Antihypertensives
Satish S1, Agnes Jain Rose2, A R Shabaraya3
1Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Srinivas College of Pharmacy, Mangalore, India.
2Student, Pharm D Srinivas College of Pharmacy, Mangalore, India.
3Principal, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Srinivas College of pharmacy, Mangalore, India.
Corresponding Author: Agnes Jain Rose
ABSTRACT
Hypertension is one of the most commonly treated cardiovascular risk factors and has been identified as a high-risk condition for adherence to therapy. Many patients fail to adhere to the prescribed treatment possibly due to the asymptomatic and lifelong nature of hypertension. The present study was aimed to evaluate the relation of comorbid conditions and polypharmacy associated with hypertensive patients who are non-adherent to antihypertensive drugs. It also aims to address patient compliance for the medications provided to them. This is a cross-sectional prospective community based study conducted in Mangalore, Karnataka involved 150 patients diagnosed with hypertension and on oral antihypertensive agents. Patients' age, sex, comorbid conditions, concomitant medications and level of polypharmacy were assessed in the present study. Comparing medication adherence in both the groups i.e. group of subjects with only hypertension and the group of subjects with other co morbid conditions, the study outcome suggests that people with only hypertension were found to be much more adherent than those with co morbidities. The results also show that 10.6% of the study population had poly pharmacy and that none of the patients with poly pharmacy were high adherent to the therapy. The present study concludes that comorbidity and polypharmacy among hypertensive patients had interfered in achieving medication adherence.
Keywords: Hypertension, Antihypertensives, Medication adherence, Comorbidities, polypharmacy.
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