Key result
Antihypertensive medications, predominantly calcium channel blockers, significantly reduced mean systolic blood pressure from 143.0 mmHg to 135.3 mmHg over 6 months in primary care patients.
Why the study?
This study aimed to describe prescribing patterns of antihypertensive medications and short-term blood pressure control outcomes in a Malaysian primary care facility.
Cross-Sectional (n=200)
No
Absolute Event Rate: 135.3% vs 143%
p-value: p=<0.001
In a Malaysian primary care setting, calcium channel blockers were the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive class, and 63.5% of patients achieved blood pressure control at 6 months.
Supports CCB-based regimens for BP control in primary care; hypothesis-generating, needs confirmatory RCTs.
Aims: This study aims to describe the prescribing patterns of antihypertensive medications and short term outcomes of these patients, defined as repeat blood pressure measurements by a medical professional within 6 months, in a primary care facility in Puchong, located within the state of Selangor in Malaysia. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of patients with essential hypertension, aged 18 and above, with blood pressure recorded at least twice within a 6-month period in an urban primary care clinic in Malaysia. Patients with history of co-morbidities were excluded. The prescribing patterns of antihypertensive medications and proportion of patients who achieved blood pressure control of less than 140/90 mmHg were ascertained. Results: A total of 200 prescriptions were analysed, including 52.5% females taking a mean of 1.7 (0.7) antihypertensive medications with a mean age of 57.9 (12.4) years. Most of the patients were prescribed either a single medication (n=90, 45.0%) or two medications (n=90; 45.0%) to control their blood pressure. Only 20 patients (10.0%) were prescribed three antihypertensive medications. A total of 127 (63.5%) patients met the blood pressure target of less than 140/90 mmHg. All participants exhibited a significant drop in systolic blood pressure, reducing from 143.0 (16.0) mmHg at baseline to 135.3 (14.8) mmHg at the end of 6 months (p<0.001). Diastolic blood pressure also decreased significantly from 83.5 (11.7) mmHg at baseline to 79.0 (10.2) mmHg at the end of 6 months (p<0.001). The choice of antihypertensive medications by the prescribers was compliant with the hypertension guidelines of Malaysia. Conclusion: The most commonly prescribed antihypertensive class was calcium channel blockers. Significant reduction in blood pressure was observed in patients from baseline to the follow-up visit. Further research of larger sample size and longer monitoring period is necessary to provide more robust epidemiology and drug utilisation data.
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Ng et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Essential hypertension (n=200). Antihypertensive medications vs. Baseline was evaluated on Systolic blood pressure (p=<0.001). Antihypertensive medications, predominantly calcium channel blockers, significantly reduced mean systolic blood pressure from 143.0 mmHg to 135.3 mmHg over 6 months in primary care patients.
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