Opinion of hypertensive patients on treatment effectiveness and disease-associated risk factors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To determine population knowledge about systemic high blood pressure (SHBP) and to know about hypertensives' opinion of their blood pressure levels and the effectiveness of blood pressure control they perform. METHOD: Cross-sectional study with interviewed volunteersfrom 18 to 65 years of age, excluding pregnant women; patients' subjective opinions about SHBP and treatment effectiveness were addressed, anthropometric measures were collected, and measurement of blood pressure (BP) was performed. All records were included in the research, being stored and analyzed through PAWS Statistics 18 software, using Odds Ratio and Pearson correlation with 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: The sampling comprises 365 patients, 43.8% of males, with 29.6% being hypertensive. According to Pearson correlation, the systolic pressure was related to waist circumference (WC) (0.456), body mass index (BMI) (0.428) and neck circumference (0.326), with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) achieving similar relations but in lesser extent. The most statistically significant relations were between SHBP and diabetes (OR = 7.5), high women waist circumference (OR = 4.5) and BMI ≥ 30 (OR = 3.0). A correlation was found between patients with high systolic and diastolic BP and their opinion that BP was high (OR = 10.2 and 7.2, respectively). There was a relation between being hypertensive and having high systolic or diastolic pressure (OR = 5.4 and 3.5, respectively). When asked about the downsides of long-term SHBP, 20.3% could not inform about theses consequences. CONCLUSION: The authors concluded that antihypertensive therapy in this population does not meet the targets proposed by the VI Brazilian Guidelines on Hypertension.(...)(AU) JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Mensurar o conhecimento populacional acerca da hipertensao arterial sistemica (HAS), conhecer a opiniao do hipertenso sobre seus niveis tensionais e a eficacia do controle pressorico realizado por eles. METODO: Pesquisa transversal com entrevistados voluntarios entre 18 e 65 anos, excluidas gestantes. Abordaram-se opinioes subjetivas do paciente sobre HAS e efetividade do tratamento, colhidas medidas antropometricas e afericao da pressao arterial (PA). Todas as fichas foram incluidas na pesquisa, sendo armazenadas e analisadas no programa PAWS Statistics 18, utilizando-se Odds Ratio e correlacao de Pearson com intervalo de confianca de 95%.RESULTADOS: Amostra composta por 365 pacientes, 43,8% do sexo masculino, 29,6% hipertensos. De acordo com a correlacao de Pearson, pressao arterial sistolica (PAS) obteve relacao com circunferencia abdominal (CA) (0,456), indice de massa corporea (IMC) (0,428) e circunferencia do pescoco (0,326),tendo a pressao arterial diastolica (PAD) relacoes parecidas em menores escalas. As relacoes mais significantes estatisticamente foram entre HAS e: diabetes (OR = 7,5), CA feminina elevada (OR = 4,5) e IMC ≥ 30 (OR = 3,0). Houve relacao entre os pacientes com PAS e PAD elevadas e opiniao de achar que a PA esta elevada (OR = 10,2 e 7,2, respectivamente). Existiu relacao entre ser hipertenso e estar com a PAS ou PAD (OR = 5,4 e 3,5, respectivamente). Quando perguntados sobre os males da HAS em longo prazo, 20,3% nao souberam informar tais consequencias. CONCLUSAO: A terapeutica anti-hipertensiva na populacao estudada esta aquem das metas propostas pelas VI Diretrizes de Hipertensao. Os hipertensos em tratamento acreditam que sua PA esta elevada antes de aferi-la, o que foi confirmado depois da medicao, denotando a inseguranca com a terapia e eficacia inadequada do tratamento. (...)(AU)