Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the suitability of whatever hypertension medication is prescribed for the associated pathology in each patient, and to analyse the monitoring of blood pressure figures. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study.Setting. Urban health centre. PATIENTS: The target population were the hypertension patients being treated with medication and monitored at the health centre. Stratified random sampling by quotas of the total number with hypertension was performed. The sample numbered 219 patients. MEASUREMENTS: The clinical history of each patient selected was reviewed. To evaluate the hypertension treatment, we established three levels of suitability with regard to the accompanying pathology of each patient (suitable, intermediate, unsuitable), using the 1999 Hypertension Protocol of the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine. RESULTS: Out of 219 cases, treatment was suitable in 71 (32.4%), intermediate in 91 (41.6%), and unsuitable in 57 (26%). The most frequently indicated drug group was the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) group and, jointly, ACEI and diuretics. Regarding the monitoring of blood pressure: 66.5% had very good monitoring, 23.2% partial and 9% poor. CONCLUSIONS: Most treatments are at an intermediate level of suitability: without beneficial or undesirable effects on the associated pathology. This makes us think we need to optimize the drug indicators for hypertension.