Choice of first antihypertensive – are existing guidelines ignored?

Article date: December 2007

By: Ifeanyi Okechukwu, Azra Mahmud, Kathleen Bennett, John Feely, in Volume 64, Issue 6, pages 722-725

What is already known about this subject

Aims

To determine adherence to hypertension guidelines in relation to age and diabetes.

Methods

The Irish HSE‐PCRS prescribing database identified patients initiating antihypertensive monotherapy in 2005. Logistic regression predicted the likelihood of therapy according to guidelines.

Results

The odds ratio (OR) of receiving therapies according to the guideline recommendations in those <55 years vs. ≥55 years was 1.31 (95% CI 1.26, 1.37). Diabetics were more likely than nondiabetics to receive antihypertensives other than β‐adrenoceptor blockers (OR 2.97, 95% CI 2.74, 3.21).

Conclusions

Our findings show some adherence to the guidelines in relation to age but selective prescribing of antihypertensives for diabetics.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2007.03005.x

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