Relationship between blood pressure levels and adherence to medication in patients with chronic heart failure: How come?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether change in objective signs during up-titration of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitors in patients with chronic heart failure affect perception of information about medicines and subjective activities such as self-care. METHODS: Consecutive patients referred for up-titration of ACE-inhibitors were included. Patients were given the Satisfaction with Information about Medicines Scale and the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale at their first visit and when the target dose was reached. Blood pressure, pulse and s-creatinine were measured at each visit. RESULTS: Relationships were found between change in systolic (r = 0.224, p = 0.044) and diastolic (r = 0.361, p = 0.001) blood pressure and change in self-care scores and were also observed at baseline (r = 0.324, 0.398, p = 0.001, 0.000) and follow-up (r = 0.317, 0.253, p = 0.004, 0.022). Diastolic blood pressure correlated with the "potential problem of medication" score (r= -0.263, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Patients with a more advanced disease usually have a lower blood pressure. Hence, the relationship between blood pressure and self-care scores might indicate that patients are more motivated to adhere to prescriptions the more advanced the stage of their disease.