A Study on Prescribing Pattern of Antihypertensive drugs in Diabetic patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital

Abstract

Background: Patients with diabetes has 2 fold higher chances of suffering from hypertension. Hypertension is risk factor for development of diabetes as well for complications like nephropathy, CAD and neuropathy etc. Hypertension control is vital to prevent and retard progression of microvascular and macrovascular complications. Therefore, we undertook this study to evaluate treatment patterns in diabetic patients with hypertension, those are being followed at our institute.

Methods: This study was conducted on diabetic patients who had hypertension as well. Prescribing Pattern of Antihypertensive drugs was analysed on all diabetic patients reporting to medicine OPD at our institute were screened.  Results: Out of n=446 patients, 242 were males and 204 were females. Mean age of group was 48.6 years. 46.18% patients were on monotherapy and remaining patients were on combination antihypertensive drugs. There were total 796 antihypertensive drug exposures. Patient needed mean antihypertensive drug of 1.78. Angiotensin receptor blockers were the most commonly prescribed drugs. Angiotensin inhibitors (angiotensin receptor blockers and ACE inhibitors) were utilized in 71% patients. Hypertension control was achieved in 37.66% patients. About 81.2%) aware about disease.

Conclusions: Our study showed that majority of diabetic hypertensive patients needed multiple drug therapy to control hypertension. Most of the patients were on ARBs/ACE inhibitors. This was according to recommendation by ADA or JNC8.