Background: Despite the existence of efficacious medications, many patients
in actual practice remain with uncontrolled hypertension. Randomized clini
cal trials, cannot address this issue well given their highly restricted en
vironment. This paper examines persistence with antihypertensive therapy am
ong patients in actual practice.
Methods: Cohort study of patients who received a diagnosis of hypertension
and were treated between 1989 and 1994 identified through the Saskatchewan
Health databases. Patients with concurrent diagnoses likely to affect initi
al treatment choice were excluded. The resulting population of 79 591 subje
cts was grouped into those with established hypertension (52 227 [66%]) and
those with newly diagnosed hypertension (27 364 [34%]). The initial antihy
pertensive prescription, subsequent changes in treatment and persistence wi
th antihypertensive therapy were analysed.
Results: Persistence with antihypertensive therapy decreased in the first 6
months after treatment was started and continued to decline over the next
4 years. Of the patients with newly diagnosed hypertension, only 78% persis
ted with therapy at the end of 1 year, as compared with 97% of the patients
with established hypertension (p < 0.001). Among those with newly diagnose
d hypertension, older patients were more likely than younger ones to persis
t, and women were more likely than men to persist (p < 0.001).
Interpretation: This analysis of actual practice data indicates that barrie
rs to persistence occur early in the therapeutic course and that achieving
successful therapy when treatment is started is important to maintaining lo
ng-term persistence.