Abstract
This study was carried out in the outpatient unit of the Teaching Hospital of the University of São Paulo (USP), and studied the impact of an educational program aimed at improving hypertensive patients' compliance to treatment. Seventy five (75) hypertensive patients of both sexes took part in the study which had no age or race discrimination. Participants presented no other concomitant pathology, except obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia. Forty one patients were allocated to an experimental group (EG). Experimental patients attended lectures on the use of medication and artery hypertension (AH) and received personal pharmaceutical guidance for nine months. The control group (CG) comprised 34 patients who did not attend lectures or receive pharmaceutical advice in this period. The results were assessed by means of serum levels of cholesterol and fractions of tryacylglicerol (TG), urine sodium and potassium, arterial pressure (AP), body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and also based on responses to a questionnaire focusing on AH and treatment. Patients who received the guidance showed a greater decrease in AP, TG and WHR, besides an increase of potassium excretion through urine. The experimental group also scored higher on the questionnaires compared to the CG. It was concluded that the educational process, applied under the conditions of the present study, improves clients' clinical response to antihypertensive treatment and should be included in therapeutic strategies of health care services dealing with hypertensive patients.
Highlights
Arterial hypertension is a condition characterized by a chronic increase in arterial pressure, which internationally is considered higher than the normal limit of 120 mmHg for systolic arterial pressure, and 80 mmHg for diastolic pressure
According to Heisler (2008), the results of low compliance to treatment may be evidenced by the increase in prescription of doses that are unnecessary for the treatment, or by changes in medication, even when these are unable to keep the arterial pressure within normal levels, and cause an increase in the number of avoidable hospital admissions of hypertensive patient cases which raises the costs of health care for both the patient and government agencies
Out of the 41 patients in the experimental group, 71% attended the lectures and 62% attended the 2nd phase of the 24-hour urine exam, while 72% of the control group completed the 2nd phase of the 24-hour urine exam
Summary
Arterial hypertension is a condition characterized by a chronic increase in arterial pressure, which internationally is considered higher than the normal limit of 120 mmHg for systolic arterial pressure, and 80 mmHg for diastolic pressure. According to Heisler (2008), the results of low compliance to treatment may be evidenced by the increase in prescription of doses that are unnecessary for the treatment, or by changes in medication, even when these are unable to keep the arterial pressure within normal levels, and cause an increase in the number of avoidable hospital admissions of hypertensive patient cases which raises the costs of health care for both the patient and government agencies.
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