Clinical Characteristics and Therapeutic Adherence of Women in a Referral Outpatient Clinic for Severe Hypertension

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. For many years, it was believed that CVD was much more prevalent in men, probably due to the lack of studies that addressed this issue in women and their risk factors, according to their biological particularities. 1 Cardiovascular risk factors common to both genders have been identified. However, some studies have shown that these factors are associated with worse outcomes in women in comparison to men. [2][3][4] In general, women usually develop CVD 10 years later than men, so that the prevalence of CVD increases in the postmenopausal period, probably due to the decline in estrogen hormone levels. 5

Blood Pressure Control and Therapeutic Adherence – The Challenges of Hypertension

“…The variable independently related to low adherence was depression. 9 A systematic review and meta-analysis including 28 studies that also evaluated adherence using MMAS-8 found a 45% prevalence of non-adherence, with a risk 1.3 times higher among men. 10 This high rate of blood pressure control associated with moderate/high adherence (higher than 80%) is probably due to the follow-up of patients in a specialized hypertension care clinic.…”