scholarly journals Hypertension treatment practices and its determinants among ambulatory patients: retrospective cohort study in Ethiopia

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. e015743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derbew Fikadu Berhe ◽  
Katja Taxis ◽  
Flora M Haaijer-Ruskamp ◽  
Afework Mulugeta ◽  
Yewondwossen Tadesse Mengistu ◽  
...  

ObjectivesWe examined determinants of achieving blood pressure control in patients with hypertension and of treatment intensification in patients with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP).DesignA retrospective cohort study in six public hospitals, Ethiopia.ParticipantsAdult ambulatory patients with hypertension and with at least one previously prescribed antihypertensive medication in the study hospital.OutcomeControlled BP (<140/90 mm Hg) and treatment intensification of patients with uncontrolled BP.ResultsThe study population comprised 897 patients. Their mean age was 57 (SD 14) years, 63% were females, and 35% had one or more cardiometabolic comorbidities mainly diabetes mellitus. BP was controlled in 37% of patients. Treatment was intensified for 23% patients with uncontrolled BP. In multivariable (logistic regression) analysis, determinants positively associated with controlled BP were treatment at general hospitals (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.83) compared with specialised hospitals and longer treatment duration (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.06). Negatively associated determinants were previously uncontrolled BP (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.43), treatment regimens with diuretics (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.94) and age (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.00). The only significant—positive—determinant for treatment intensification was duration of therapy (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.09).ConclusionsThe level of controlled BP and treatment intensification practice in this study was low. The findings suggest the need for in-depth understanding and interventions of the identified determinants such as uncontrolled BP on consecutive visits, older age and type of hospital.

BMJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. k3503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy S Anderson ◽  
Charlie M Wray ◽  
Bocheng Jing ◽  
Kathy Fung ◽  
Sarah Ngo ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesTo assess how often older adults admitted to hospital for common non-cardiac conditions were discharged with intensified antihypertensive treatment, and to identify markers of appropriateness for these intensifications.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingUS Veterans Administration Health System.ParticipantsPatients aged 65 years or over with hypertension admitted to hospital with non-cardiac conditions between 2011 and 2013.Main outcome measuresIntensification of antihypertensive treatment, defined as receiving a new or higher dose antihypertensive agent at discharge compared with drugs used before admission. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were used to control for characteristics of patients and hospitals.ResultsAmong 14 915 older adults (median age 76, interquartile range 69-84), 9636 (65%) had well controlled outpatient blood pressure before hospital admission. Overall, 2074 (14%) patients were discharged with intensified antihypertensive treatment, more than half of whom (1082) had well controlled blood pressure before admission. After adjustment for potential confounders, elevated inpatient blood pressure was strongly associated with being discharged on intensified antihypertensive regimens. Among patients with previously well controlled outpatient blood pressure, 8% (95% confidence interval 7% to 9%) of patients without elevated inpatient blood pressure, 24% (21% to 26%) of patients with moderately elevated inpatient blood pressure, and 40% (34% to 46%) of patients with severely elevated inpatient blood pressure were discharged with intensified antihypertensive regimens. No differences were seen in rates of intensification among patients least likely to benefit from tight blood pressure control (limited life expectancy, dementia, or metastatic malignancy), nor in those most likely to benefit (history of myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, or renal disease).ConclusionsOne in seven older adults admitted to hospital for common non-cardiac conditions were discharged with intensified antihypertensive treatment. More than half of intensifications occurred in patients with previously well controlled outpatient blood pressure. More attention is needed to reduce potentially harmful overtreatment of blood pressure as older adults transition from hospital to home.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0248362
Author(s):  
Finlay A. McAlister ◽  
Brendan Cord Lethebe ◽  
Alexander A. Leung ◽  
Rajdeep S. Padwal ◽  
Tyler Williamson

Objective Although high visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events, the frequency of high BPV is unknown. We conducted this study to define the frequency of high BPV in primary care patients, clinical correlates, and association with antihypertensive therapies. Methods Retrospective cohort study using electronic medical record data (with previously validated case definitions based on billing codes, free text analysis of progress notes, and prescribing data) from the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network of 221,803 adults with multiple clinic visits over a 2-year period. We a priori defined a standard deviation>13.0 mm Hg in visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure (SBP) as “high BPV” based on prior literature. Results Overall, 85,455 (38.5%) patients had hypertension (mean 6.56 visits with SBP measurement, mean SBP 134.4 with Standard Deviation [SD] 11.3, 33.2% exhibited high BPV) and 136,348 did not (mean 3.96 visits with SBP measurement, mean SBP 120.9 with SD 8.2, 16.5% had high BPV). BPV increased with age regardless of whether individuals had hypertension or not; at all ages BPV varied across antihypertensive treatment regimens and was greater in those receiving renin angiotensin blockers or beta-blockers (p<0.001). High BPV was more frequent in patients with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, dementia, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or Parkinson’s disease. Conclusions High visit-to-visit BPV is present in one sixth of non-hypertensive adults and one third of hypertensive individuals and is more common in those with comorbidities. The frequency of high BPV varies across antihypertensive treatment regimens.


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umit Aydogan ◽  
Yusuf C. Doganer ◽  
Aslı Atik ◽  
James E. Rohrer ◽  
Deniz Engin Gok ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Boon-How Chew ◽  
Husni Hussain ◽  
Ziti Akthar Supian

Abstract Background Good-quality evidence has shown that early glycaemic, blood pressure and LDL-cholesterol control in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) leads to better outcomes. In spite of that, diseases control have been inadequate globally, and therapeutic inertia could be one of the main cause. Evidence on therapeutic inertia has been lacking at primary care setting. This retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the proportions of therapeutic inertia when treatment targets of HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL-cholesterol were not achieved in adults with T2D at three public health clinics in Malaysia. Methods The index prescriptions were those that when the annual blood tests were reviewed. Prescriptions of medication were verified, compared to the preceding prescriptions and classified as 1) no change, 2) stepping up and 3) stepping down. The treatment targets were HbA1c < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol), blood pressure (BP) < 140/90 mmHg and LDL-cholesterol < 2.6 mmol/L. Therapeutic inertia was defined as no change in the medication use in the present of not reaching the treatment targets. Descriptive, univariable, multivariable logistic regression and sensitive analyses were conducted. Results A total of 552 cohorts were available for the assessment of therapeutic inertia (78.9% completion rate). The mean (SD) age and diabetes duration were 60.0 (9.9) years and 5.0 (6.0) years, respectively. High therapeutic inertia were observed in oral anti-diabetic (61–72%), anti-hypertensive (34–65%) and lipid-lowering therapies (56–77%), and lesser in insulin (34–52%). Insulin therapeutic inertia was more likely among those with shorter diabetes duration (adjusted OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.87, 0.98). Those who did not achieve treatment targets were less likely to experience therapeutic inertia: HbA1c ≥ 7.0%: adjusted OR 0.10 (0.04, 0.24); BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg: 0.28 (0.16, 0.50); LDL-cholesterol ≥ 2.6 mmol/L: 0.37 (0.22, 0.64). Conclusions Although therapeutic intensifications were more likely in the presence of non-achieved treatment targets but the proportions of therapeutic inertia were high. Possible causes of therapeutic inertia were less of the physician behaviours but might be more of patient-related non-adherence or non-availability of the oral medications. These observations require urgent identification and rectification to improve disease control, avoiding detrimental health implications and costly consequences. Trial registration Number NCT02730754, April 6, 2016.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1465
Author(s):  
Lesly Acosta ◽  
Nuria Soldevila ◽  
Nuria Torner ◽  
Ana Martínez ◽  
Xavier Ayneto ◽  
...  

Seasonal influenza is a common cause of hospital admission, especially in older people and those with comorbidities. The objective of this study was to determine influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) in preventing intensive care admissions and shortening the length of stay (LOS) in hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases (HLCI) in Catalonia (Spain). A retrospective cohort study was carried out during the 2017–2018 season in HLCI aged ≥18 years from 14 public hospitals. Differences in means and proportions were assessed using a t-test or a chi-square test as necessary and the differences were quantified using standardized effect measures: Cohen’s d for quantitative and Cohen’s w for categorical variables. Adjusted influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing severity was estimated by multivariate logistic regression where the adjusted VE = (1 − adjusted odds ratio) · 100%; adjustment was also made using the propensity score. We analyzed 1414 HLCI aged ≥18 years; 465 (33%) were vaccinated, of whom 437 (94%) were aged ≥60 years, 269 (57.8%) were male and 295 (63.4%) were positive for influenza type B. ICU admission was required in 214 (15.1%) cases. There were 141/1118 (12.6%) ICU admissions in patients aged ≥60 years and 73/296 (24.7%) in those aged <60 years (p < 0.001). The mean LOS and ICU LOS did not differ significantly between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. There were 52/465 (11.2%) ICU admissions in vaccinated cases vs. 162/949 (17.1%) in unvaccinated cases. Patients admitted to the ICU had a longer hospital LOS (mean: 22.4 [SD 20.3] days) than those who were not (mean: 11.1 [SD 14.4] days); p < 0.001. Overall, vaccination was associated with a lower risk of ICU admission. Taking virus types A and B together, the estimated adjusted VE in preventing ICU admission was 31% (95% CI 1–52; p = 0.04). When stratified by viral type, the aVE was 40% for type A (95% CI -11–68; p = 0.09) and 25% for type B (95% CI -18–52; p = 0.21). Annual influenza vaccination may prevent ICU admission in cases of HLCI. A non-significantly shorter mean hospital stay was observed in vaccinated cases. Our results support the need to increase vaccination uptake and public perception of the benefits of influenza vaccination in groups at a higher risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes.


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