Health-Related Quality of Life and Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive Patients with and without Complications

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:The goal of antihypertensive treatment is to reduce blood pressure without interfering in health-related quality of life (HRQL)OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to assess the influence of hypertension control upon HRQL in hypertensive patients with and without complications.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Seventy-seven hypertensive outpatients (71% women, 58% white, 60% with elementary school level education, average age 54 ± 8 years) were observed during a 12-month special care program (phase 1: clinical visits every two months, donation of all antihypertensive medications, meetings with a multidisciplinary team, and active telephone calls) and three years of standard care (phase 2: clinical visits every four months, medication provided by the drugstore of the hospital with a two-hour wait and a possible lack of medication, no meetings with a multidisciplinary team or active telephone calls). The patient HRQL was assessed using Bulpitt and Fletcher’s Specific Questionnaire, as well as the SF-36 scores. Hypertensive patients were divided into “with complications” (n=37, diastolic blood pressure great than 110 mm Hg for patients with or without treatment, with clinically evident target-organ or other associated illness) and “without complications” (n=40). The variables studied were quality of life, blood pressure control, hypertension gravity, and demographic characteristics.RESULTS:In hypertensive patients with and without complications, both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher (p<0.05) in phase 2 of observation (143±18/84±11 and 144±21/93±11 mm Hg for patients with and without complications, respectively) relative to phase 1 (128±17/75±13 and 128±15/83±11mmHg). The proportion of patients with controlled blood pressure (defined as a blood pressure less than 140/90 mm Hg) decreased from 70% to 49% in the “with complications” group and from 78% to 50% in the “without complications” group during phase 2 of observation. The patients with complications showed a decrease in bodily pain, vitality, and mental health component summary scores in both phases. In phase 2, the patients without complications had significantly better HRQL scores compared to complicated patients using both the Bulpitt and Fletcher’s Questionnaire and the SF-36 assessment of physical capacity, bodily pain, and vitality domain summary scores. With regards to hypertension control, there was a significant decrease from phase 1 to phase 2 in the vitality component summary scores and an increase in the emotional aspect component summary scores assessed by the SF-36, whereas Bulpitt and Fletcher’s Questionnaire showed no differences in these scores.CONCLUSION:Special care programs with multidisciplinary activities, individualized and personalized assistance, easy access to pharmacological treatment, frequent meetings, and active telephone calls for hypertensive patients significantly increase blood pressure control but do not interfere with the HRQL.

Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life among Hypertensive Patients of Loralai, Pakistan

“…[8] Similar results were obtained when HRQoL was assessed in hypertensive sufferer. [9] Fahad Saleem et al reported in a study that health related characteristics of life in hypertensive patients of Quetta, Pakistan are poor which also supports of my claim of study. [10] The demographics such as age, marital status, occupation and income had significant relationship with disease condition.…”

Life Quality of Persons With Arterial Hypertension in Russia — Is There Relation to Treatment? (By Data From Populational Study Esse-Rf)

“…Несмотря на про-стоту выявления АГ, имеющиеся в арсенале медицин-ских работников современные антигипертензивные препараты (АГП) и рост числа лиц, их принимаю-щих, во всем мире актуальным остается вопрос об эффективности контроля артериального давления (АД) [2,5]. В исследованиях факторов, ассоцииро-ванных с эффективностью лечения, в последние годы важное место отводится анализу качества жизни (КЖ) пациентов с АГ [6][7][8][9] и, прежде всего, КЖ, свя-занного со здоровьем (health-related quality of life -HRQL) [10]. Представления врача и пациента о целях и эффективности лечения могут существенно разли-чаться.…”

Influência do treinamento resistido na qualidade de vida de idosas com hipertensão arterial sistêmica

“…Some authors when assessing QOL in hypertensive patients inserted in a RT program have not presented alterations in any of the QOL domains assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire. According to these authors, the fact is justified by the lack of comorbidities related to the HBP, as well as alterations in general wellness of the patients from those samples 7,21,22 . Corroborating these findings, another study, when assessing the effect of physical exercise in the elderly population, stated that resistance training is positively correlated with many quality of life domains, but not with all of them 23 .…”