Management of hypertension by general practitioners: an Italian observational study

Data on patients receiving antihypertensive therapy were collected from 20 generalpractitioners (GPs) in Campania, Italy, to determine the prescription of differentantihypertensive classes and their use with other drugs for concomitantdiseases, to investigate the main factors influencing antihypertensive choice, todocument treatment outcome, and to assess adverse drug reactions (ADRs).Each GP completed a data card for each consultation that produced an antihypertensiveprescription; 1900 cards were collected. The most frequently usedantihypertensives were angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (49.6%), calciumantagonists (24.8%), beta blockers (11.7%), angiotensin II–receptor blockers(5.5%), and alpha blockers (0.9%). In 82% of patients, blood pressure wasreduced but did not reach normotensive levels. The choice of antihypertensivetreatment was influenced by international guidelines (56%), clinical diagnosis(25%), concomitant diseases (8%), cost (4%), compliance (3%), and other factors(5%). ADRs—most often cough (35.7%), edema (22.7%), headache (13.3%), andtachycardia (7.8%)—occurred in 11.8% of patients.