Pattern of Antihypertensive Drugs Prescribed in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Western India

Abstract

Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although known as disease of old age, younger population is at increasing risk due to various factors including obesity and diabetes. Antihypertensive drug treatment being the only measure to control the raised blood pressure, large number of patients remain untreated or inadequately treated. Prescription pattern studies are needed to optimize and control the drug treatment. Present study was done with the aim to study the prescription pattern of antihypertensive drugs in a tertiary care hospital in western India. Pattern of drugs prescribed whether in combination or as single drug in various comorbidities were the objectives of the study. It was observed that ARB was the most commonly prescribed drug (41.5%) either alone or in combination. Multidrug therapy being the preferred treatment (56%), combination of ARB, CCB and Diuretic was the most common (35.7%). Diabetes mellitus was the most commonly associated comorbidity in hypertensive patients (39%), with ARB and CCB as the preferred antihypertensive drugs used in them. The treatment prescribed seemed to be specific to age, comorbidity and was in accordance with national and international guidelines including the Indian Guidelines on Hypertension.