“A Cross Sectional, Observational Study of the Antihypertensive Pharmacotherapeutic Profile in an Urban Indian Adult Population”

Aims And Objectives: As of 2016, An estimated 180 million people in India have primary hypertension. We set out to investigate the pharmacotherapeutic profile in this vast and varied population. Our objective was to assess what fraction of our study population was on medication in accordance to the best available contemporary medical evidence by comparing our results with 05 International guidelines published in the past 06 years. Methods: We studied 1081 patients with a previous diagnosis of primary hypertension and analyzed the antihypertensives they were on, which had been prescribed from various urban and rural centers. Some of these patients were on our follow up as outpatients, while others were migrating from other medical setups. It was our endeavor to study a sample size large enough so that extrapolation to the general population was not an obstacle. Results: Of the 1081 patients studied, 38.4% (35.5 – 41.3 with 95% CI) were on calcium channel blockers alone, 30.0 % (27.2 – 32.7 with 95% CI) were on a combination of calcium channel blockers and beta blockers, 14.1 % (12.09 – 16.25 with 95% CI) were on diuretics alone, 15.09% (12.96 – 17.23 with 95% CI) and 2.31 % (1.42 – 3.21 with 95% CI) were on other medication which includes beta blockers alone, alpha blockers alone and vasodilators. Conclusion: The study shows that while most of the study population was on medication according to the latest guidelines, there was a considerable portion 30.0 % (27.2 – 32.7 with 95% CI) of the patient population was on beta blockers without adequate indications. (This is, however, still in accordance with the CHEP and ESH guidelines). The availability of safer and better options makes this a cause of concern. Considering the rampant prevalence of essential hypertension in Indian subcontinent, the authors feel that this study was not powered to be able to draw a conclusion for the entire demographic. A larger study in this regard is required.