Blood Pressure Control and Therapeutic Adherence – The Challenges of Hypertension

Blood pressure control is the greatest challenge in the treatment of hypertension.^, The control rate varies from 10% to 32% among continents, and it is related to the development level of each country, with averages ranging from 27% in low- and middle-income countries to 51% in high-income countries. In Brazil, the rates of awareness (22% – 77%), treatment (11% – 78%), and blood pressure control (10% – 36%) also vary depending on the population studied. Clinical inertia, inappropriate lifestyle, and poor therapeutic adherence are the main reasons for difficulty in reaching the therapeutic target.

Several factors affect adherence to treatment, including sociodemographic factors, as well as factors related to patients, drug treatment, and healthcare providers.^, The main sociodemographic factors are age (younger and very elderly patients), poverty, ethnicity (minorities), and lack of social support. Few studies have assessed the difference in adherence between men and women, and they present controversial results.

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