Assessment of Blood Pressure Control among Hypertensive Patients in Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Hypertension is a major global concern and public health problem affecting more than one billion individuals worldwide. It is risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The main objective of this study was to determine the prescription pattern of antihypertensive medications among patients on follow-up at cardiac clinic of Zewditu Memorial Hospital.Method: A cross-sectional retrospective study design was used to collect the data from the patient chart by reviewing the hypertension patient’s medical record.Result: Out of the 356 patient cards reviewed, 204 (57.3%) were for females and with the mean age of 56.2 ± 12.4 years. Among total study participants, 124 (34.8%) had co-morbid conditions. Majority of the patients were on combination therapy 252 (70.8%). Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), 215 (60.4%) was the most prescribed drug. Blood pressure was controlled in 107 (30.1%) of patients. About 140 (39.3%) and 134 (37.6%) hypertensive patients were appropriately prescribed according to national guideline 2014 and Joint National Committee (JNC 8) guideline, respectively. The result of the multivariate analysis showed that there was a positive statistically significant association between inappropriate prescription pattern of antihypertensive medications with age ≥ 60 years (P=0.01) and uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) (P=0.001).Conclusion: In conclusion, the general use of antihypertensive medications seemed not to be in accordance with the Ethiopia national guideline.