Changing Patterns of Initial Drug Therapy for the Treatment of Hypertension in a Medicaid Population, 2001–2005

Thiazide diuretics have been recommended as one preferred choice for the initial treatment of hypertension. This study was undertaken to determine whether Maine physicians initiating monotherapy for newly diagnosed hypertensive patients from 2001-2005 used this guideline. The Maine Medicaid database was searched for the drug classes used to initiate monotherapy for patients followed for at least 6 months. A total of 5373 patients were included. In 2001, the use of beta-blockers was 23.5%, diuretics 17.5%, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors 37.5%, calcium channel blockers 9.5%, angiotensin receptor blockers 3.8%, and others 8.2%. By 2005, the use of beta-blockers was 27.8%, diuretics 25.5%, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors 30.9%, calcium channel blockers 6.4%, angiotensin receptor blockers 1.6%, and others 7.7%. There was an increase in the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers in diabetics but no other condition affected drug choice. Although there was an increase in the use of diuretics as initial therapy in 2003 and 2004, this decreased in 2005. The increase in initial diuretic use was not reflected in patterns of ongoing antihypertensive use from 1997 to 2005. There appears to have been limited impact from the guidelines on initial drug choice and even less so on ongoing drug therapy.