Factors influencing adherence to treatment and quality of life for a group of patients with essential hypertension in romania

Abstract

Purpose: Romania has a high prevalence of hypertension (45.1% in 2016). Whether this is attributable to a low rate of treatment adherence—which can aggravate the pathology and reduce patients’ quality of life (QoL)—is unknown. To address this point, the present study investigated the factors that influence short-and long-term adherence and QoL in patients with arterial hypertension using a specially designed questionnaire. Patients and Methods: The study enrolled 289 patients at different stages of hypertension with or without comorbidities. The diagnosis of hypertension was established by the cardiol-ogist, and treatment regimens were communicated by patients to the clinical pharmacist who administered the questionnaire, which comprised 7 domains with variable numbers of items. Results: The majority of surveyed patients (57.43%) considered that their capacity for effort was decreased because of their hypertension, with 65.05% reporting that they were affected by symptoms associated with high blood pressure (eg, headache and dizziness). Most patients (71.28%) understood the consequences of discontinuing their medication and the severe complications of hypertension, and 69.55% indicated that they would not stop treatment if they experienced side effects. For 53.28% of patients, social activity was significantly affected by their condition. Only 47.05% of patients underwent regular mandatory medical examina-tions and 55.36% periodically monitored their blood pressure at home. A regression analysis revealed correlations between specific questionnaire items and patient characteristics. Conclusion: Nonpharmacologic factors that were shown to influence patients’ adherence to treatment and QoL included the level of health education and knowledge of disease com-plications, self-monitoring of hypertension, and consultation with medical and pharmaceu-tical healthcare providers regarding hypertension and its treatment.