Profiles of Patients Who Control the Doses of Their Antihypertensive Drugs by Self-Monitoring of Home Blood Pressure

• Published in: Hypertension Research Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 203 - 207
• Main Authors: ASHIDA, Terunao, YOKOYAMA, Satoshi, EBIHARA, Aya, SUGIYAMA, Takao, FUJII, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Japanese Society of Hypertension 01.05.2001
• Subjects: Aged; Antihypertensive Agents - administration & dosage; antihypertensive drugs; Blood Pressure Determination; Female; home blood pressure; Humans; hypertension; Hypertension - diagnosis; Hypertension - drug therapy; Male; Middle Aged; non self-controllers; Patient Compliance; Self Administration; self-controllers
• ISSN: 0916-9636; 1348-4214
• DOI: 10.1291/hypres.24.203

The present study profiled patients who control doses of antihypertensive drugs by themselves based on self-monitoring of their blood pressure (self-controllers). A total of 1, 028 consecutive outpatients who were taking antihypertensive drugs and who were attending the cardiovascular outpatient clinic of our institute responded to a questionnaire in 1998. They were asked how often they measured their blood pressure, how often they missed taking their medication, and whether or not they had a chance to adjust the doses of antihypertensive drugs by themselves based on self-monitored blood pressure. The frequency of self-controlling of antihypertensive drugs was also examined in 918 patients on antihypertensive drugs in 1997. In 1997, 23 of 918 patients (2.5%) were self-controllers, and 26 of 1, 028 patients (2.5%) were self-controllers in 1998. The frequency of home blood-pressure measurement was significantly greater in self-controllers than in the remaining patients (non self-controllers)(p<0.01). The prevalence of proteinuria was significantly less in the former than in the latter. Prior to the start of antihypertensive drugs, blood pressure was significantly lower for the self-controllers (154.4±3.8/96.4±1.4 mmHg) than for the non self-controllers (169.3±0.7/101.7±0.4 mmHg)(p<0.001). Clinically measured blood pressures did not differ significantly between the self-controllers and non self-controllers. Thus, about 2.5% of patients on antihypertensive drugs controlled their drug doses by themselves based on self-monitoring of their blood pressure. These patients were characterized by having a milder form of hypertension and by more frequent home blood-pressure measurement than non self-controllers. (Hypertens Res 2001; 24: 203-207)