This paper reviews the major issues related to non-compliance with anti-hypertensive therapy.
An explanation of hypertension and the failure to achieve compliance with anti-hypertensive therapy. The paper begins by explaining that hypertension is associated with many factors that have been found to reduce compliance. Factors that reduce compliance to anti-hypertensive therapy include patient and disease characteristics and treatment characteristics. The paper then shows what solutions can be provided by the medical care facility to improve the treatment. The paper includes many direct quotes from medical journals and offers details of the various treatments and therapies available.
“The 1988-1991 Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III) found that only about one-half of hypertensive patients in the United States are being treated and less than one-half of those being treated have their blood pressure well controlled (below 140/90 mmHg). A major reason for this shortfall is lack of patient compliance with therapy. This problem persists even though individual programs have shown excellent adherence to and results from both non drug and drug regimens.”