Table 3 Clinical characteristic of the patients
From: Adherence to antihypertensive medications in rural Lao PDR: a prospective observational study
Adherent group (n = 34) | Non-adherent group (n = 34) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
Direction after consultation | |||
Return home | 22 (50.0) | 22 (50.0) | 1.0a |
Admission | 11 (47.8) | 12 (52.2) | |
Referral | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | |
Body mass index (BMI), mean (SD) | 24.1 (3.9) | 24.0 (3.9) | 0.90b |
Normal (18.5–24.9) | 23 (53.5) | 20 (46.5) | |
Underweight (below 18.5) | 2 (66.7) | 1 (33.3) | |
Overweight (25.0–29.9) | 8 (42.1) | 11 (57.9) | |
Obese (30.0 and above) | 1 (50.0) | 1 (50.0) | |
Blood pressure | |||
Systolic blood pressure (SBP) | 158.8 ± 21.7 | 164.3 ± 21.9 | 0.30b |
Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) | 98.3 ± 11.2 | 99.3 ± 11.5 | 0.70b |
Classification of hypertension [19] | |||
Normal blood pressure | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | 0.10 a) |
High-normal blood pressure | 0 (0) | 1 (100) | |
Grade 1 hypertension | 10 (71.4) | 4 (28.6) | |
Grade 2 hypertension | 23 (44.2) | 29 (55.8) | |
Newly began antihypertensive medication | 13 (50.0) | 13 (50.0) | 1.0a |
Aware of hypertension | |||
Aware | 21 (50.0) | 21 (50.0) | |
Ever treated (medication) | 21 (50.0) | 21 (50.0) | |
Controlled on day 0 | 1 (50.0) | 1 (50.0) | |
Comorbidities | |||
Non-communicable diseases | 6 | 3 | |
Acute diseases (e.g., diarrhea, pain) | 2 | 5 | |
Lifestyle | |||
Tobacco use | 8 (40.0) | 12 (60.0) | 0.43a |
Alcohol use | 11 (45.8) | 13 (54.2) | 0.80a |
Practice of a healthy diet | 15 (45.5) | 18 (54.5) | 0.63a |
Practice of appropriate exercise | 15 (46.9) | 17 (53.1) | 0.81a |
Health education ever received | |||
Stop smoking | 18 (46.2) | 21 (53.8) | 0.62a |
Stop alcohol consumption | 22 (50.0) | 22 (50.0) | 1.0a |
Salt reduction | 33 (54.1) | 28 (45.9) | 0.11a |
Weight loss | 16 (59.3) | 11 (40.7) | 0.32a |
Regular exercise | 31 (56.4) | 24 (43.6) | 0.062a |
Number of medicines | 2.2 ± 0.9 | 2.1 ± 1.0 | 0.49c |
Herbal medicine | |||
Yes | 5 (38.5) | 8 (61.5) | 0.36a |
No | 26 (54.2) | 22 (45.8) | |
Data unavailable | 3 (42.9) | 4 (57.1) | |
Antihypertensive medicine (monotherapy) | |||
Enalapril | 33 | 34 | |
Nifedipine | 1 | 0 | |
Heart failure medicine (furosemide) | 1 | 1 | |
Diabetes medicine | 6 | 2 | |
Diazepam | 2 | 6 | |
Antipyretic analgesic | 12 | 8 | |
Vitamins | 11 | 9 | |
Gastrointestinal drug | 4 | 2 | |
Antibiotics | 3 | 2 | |
Others | 1 | 7 | |
Physical condition (day 0) | |||
Unwell | 4 (50.0) | 4 (50.0) | 1.0a |
Moderately unwell | 21 (51.2) | 20 (48.8) | |
Moderately well | 9 (50.0) | 9 (50.0) | |
Well | 0 (0) | 1 (100) | |
Physical condition (day 7) | |||
Unwell | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.30a |
Moderately unwell | 0 (0) | 3 (100) | |
Moderately well | 17 (54.8) | 14 (45.2) | |
Well | 17 (50.0) | 17 (50.0) | |
Reason for consultation (day 0, multiple answers) | |||
Headache | 22 | 19 | |
Dizziness | 9 | 9 | |
Nausea | 8 | 9 | |
Tiredness | 8 | 5 | |
Loss of appetite | 7 | 4 | |
Other acute symptoms | 11 | 11 | |
Shortage of medicine | 0 | 3 | |
Re-check | 1 | 0 | |
Visit this hospital regularly (n = 42) | 2 | 3 | |
Reason for not visiting hospital regularly (n = 37) | |||
Go to other health facility | 15 | 9 | |
No need to continue taking medication | 3 | 8 | |
Cost burden | 0 | 1 | |
Come when unwell | 1 | 0 | |
Where usually obtain hypertensive medicines (n = 42) | |||
Not regularly taking | 2 | 5 | |
Private clinics | 14 | 3 | |
District hospital | 4 | 8 | |
District hospital and others | 0 | 3 | |
Pharmacy | 0 | 1 | |
Provincial hosp., private clinics | 1 | 1 | |
When will be the next consultation (day 7) | |||
When condition worsens | 26 | 16 | 0.03a |
When medicine is complete | 8 | 16 | |
Others | 0 | 2 | |
Expenditure for treatment (LAK) | 66,206 ± 68,955 | 98,824 ± 152,072 | 0.91c |
Knows how to take medication | 31 (50.8) | 30 (49.2) | 1.0 |
Do you think hypertension needs lifelong treatment? | |||
Yes | 23 (63.9) | 13 (36.1) | 0.028a |