Blood Pressure Variability Among Patients Taking Antihypertensive Drugs in a Tertiary Care Centre in North Kerala

Abstract

Introduction: In India, every one in four adults suffers from high blood pressure but a very small percentage of them get properly diagnosed and treated and very few of them go for regular follow-up and monitoring. This is mainly because most people are unaware of the menacing consequences of high BP. Constant monitoring and regular follow-up are crucial to understanding the appropriateness of the provided treatment and making necessary modifications to prevent end organ damage. Aim/Objective: Aim of the study is to evaluate blood pressure variation in patients taking antihypertensive drugs admitted in General Medicine Department of Government Medical College, Kannur. Following are the 2 main objectives; 1. To evaluate and determine the effect of antihypertensive drugs on blood pressure variation. 2. To determine factors associated with variation in BP in hypertensive patients. Methodology: A prospective observational study was done including 33 study subjects, conducted over six months in the Department of General Medicine, Government Medical College, Kannur. All the data was documented and analyzed based on a standard protocol. Results: A total of 33 patients were included in the study, 20 were above the age of 60, and 13 were below the age of 60. Among them 24 were male and 9 were female out of which more than half were classified under stage1 hypertension. It was observed that 24 patients had one or more comorbid conditions like diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, etc., and a majority of the patients were on beta blockers (63.6%) followed by calcium channel blockers (57.6%). Conclusion: Metoprolol in BD dosing and amlodipine in OD dosing provided better control of BP in patients without any comorbidities while they failed to achieve normal BP in patients with comorbid conditions. Comorbid conditions have a significant influence over BPV patterns, hence constant monitoring of BP must be carried out in these patients along with an appropriate treatment plan for better control of BP and to improve the patient’s quality of life.