Adherence to treatment: a major problem in the control of arterial hypertension

Abstract

Arterial hypertension (AH) is a polygenic syndrome and comprises several pathophysiological aspects such as genetic predisposition, where heredity plays a considerable role in the origin of the increase in blood pressure levels. AH is the most frequent disease in Brazilian society, and its exact prevalence is not known throughout the country, and it contributes significantly to a high rate of cardiovascular mortality throughout the country. The evaluation of a patient with AH includes confirmation of the diagnosis, suspicion and identification of a secondary cause, in addition to checking the risk of a cardiovascular attack. Non-adherence to treatment can also be linked to the undesirable effects of antihypertensive drugs, financial barriers, lack of motivation of the patient to treat an asymptomatic disease, long-term treatment, influence on quality of life, inadequate relationship with the health team, among other diverse factors. Thus, the present study aims to search the scientific literature to analyze data on the impact on individual health of patients considered hypertensive who do not adhere to the treatment of arterial hypertension. A bibliographic survey of publications related to studies on arterial hypertension and treatment adherence through the data platform on Google Scholar, Scielo and LILACS was carried out between the years 1990 to 2020. Analyzing the information present in several articles researched in the literature, it is I need to recognize that the patient is not just hypertensive, but consider that he is inserted in a socio-cultural context and that he has his particularities.