Demographics And Comorbidities Associated With Hypertension And Prescription Practices By Junior House Officers For Disease Management In Relation To Clinical Guidelines

Objective: To identify the demographics and most common comorbidities associated with hypertension and evaluate the prescription practices of Junior house officers for pharmacotherapy of hypertension, focusing on standard guideline adherence. Study Design: Descriptive, Cross-Sectional Study. Place and Duration of Study: Abbottabad, 03 months( Feburary to April 2021). Methodology: This study was conducted on 120 hypertensive patients from the in-patient department. Demographic data, comorbidities, treatment regimens, and adherence to Joint National Committee (JNC-8) guidelines were extracted from patient charts. Descriptive statistics were used to assess associated comorbidities and adherence to guidelines. Results: : In our study population, hypertension is found slightly more common in males (52.5%) and in those aged 51-60 years (30%). Diabetes was the most prevalent comorbidity (41.7%) followed by Ischemic heart disease (40%). Vasodilators (66.67%), diuretics (42.50%), and beta blockers (40.83%) were the most frequently prescribed antihypertensive drugs, whereas statins (65.83%) and antiplatelets (56.67%) represented the predominant combination therapies. Only 47.5% of prescriptions complied with JNC-8 guidelines. Conclusion: Hypertension was commonly reported in male and old age patients. Diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease were the most common comorbidities. The majority of junior house officer’s prescriptions for hypertensive patients were inconsistent with the established guidelines. This highlights the necessity for targeted educational interventions and enhanced support to improve guideline adherence and treatment outcomes.