Drug Profile and Therapeutic Adherence of African-Brazilians with Apparent Resistant Hypertension

Abstract

Systemic hypertension (SH) is an important risk factor for cardiovascular events, especially stroke, which justifies the relevance of its proper management. In a meta-analysis conducted by Sarki et al., 1 the results showed a prevalence of 32.3% of SH, and Latin America was as one of the regions with the highest estimates (39.1%). 1 According to data from the American Heart Association, specifically in the African-American population, the prevalence of SH reaches 44.9% for black men, and 46.1% for black women. 2 A higher prevalence of SH in blacks was also identified in Brazilian studies. 3-5 Despite this high prevalence, pressure control is achieved in most cases with the appropriate choice of antihypertensive drugs. 6 However, still 9-18% of individuals with SH have blood pressure levels resistant to pharmacological treatment, which characterizes resistant hypertension (RH). 6-8