Compliance with therapy in hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE This study investigated pharmacological compliance in hypertensive patients recruited during a 24-month period at the Hypertension Clinic of the S. Maria Nuova Hospital. METHODS The compliance profile scale was developed in order to classify compliance as sufficient, or poor. Compliance was evaluated according to patients' (1) global cardiovascular risk (hypertensive) and (2) complexity of prescribed treatment at enrolment (drug, number of pills). RESULTS A total of 367 patients were recruited; 82 were excluded owing to changes in therapeutic schedule or medication necessitated by other medical or surgical disease. Compliance was evaluated in 285 patients, 66% were male; the mean age was 72 +/- 12 years. Compliance was evaluated at a series of follow-ups at 3-month intervals and at 36 months of observation. Compliance at 36 months was good or sufficient in 56% of patients, but differed according to hypertensive and drug status. Compliance was better in patients with a higher level vs. lower level of hypertension severity. Specifically, compliance was better in hypertensives with co-morbidity (76%) than in hypertensives without co-morbidity (37%) or hypertensives with risk factors (65%). Moreover, compliance was better in patients with a more complex therapeutic regimen (drug 1 through 3: 47, 59 and 66%). CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate a relationship between disease severity and compliance, independent of the prescribed therapeutic regimen. This suggests that the most important factor for therapy adherence is disease awareness and severity, and patients with a higher level of disease are more likely to be compliant.