In a Middle Eastern cohort, only 55.9% of hypertensive patients were adherent to their medications, highlighting a significant gap in hypertension management.
Suboptimal adherence in >40% of patients warrants clinical attention; leaves open causal factors and effective interventions for this population.
BACKGROUND: Poor adherence to antihypertensive treatment remains a clinical challenge worldwide. The objectives of this study were to assess the adherence level to antihypertensive treatment and to identify its associated factors in a sample of hypertensive patients in Lebanon and Jordan. METHODS: We conducted an observational study between May 2011 and September 2012. A total of 1,470 eligible hypertensive patients were enrolled in our study and followed up for a period of 6 months. Data were collected regarding sociodemographic, health behavior, and hypertension-related characteristics. The adherence to treatment and the quality of life were self-reported using the Morisky, Green & Levine Scale and the Hypertension Quality of Life Questionnaire. RESULTS: Our results revealed that 55.9 % of the patients were adherent to their antihypertensive medication. Older age was associated with better adherence, whereas being divorced or widowed, having a poorer quality of life, and being classified as having stage 1 or 2 hypertension at the end of the study were all associated with poorer adherence. CONCLUSION: Efforts should be exerted on all levels in order to increase the adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment through the implementation of educational campaigns.
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Alhaddad et al. (2016) studied this question.
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