(P-152) The Use of Medication Among People with Stage 2 Hypertension: Findings from an Indonesian Cross-sectional Study

Background: People with stage 2 hypertension have a higher risk for developing cardiovascular complications, including stroke, the leading cause of death in Indonesia. Despite the growing research interest in hypertension management, primary data from high-risk patients in the community setting are scarcely reported.

Objectives: The objectives were to measure the proportion of patients in a community setting who currently took hypertension medications, identify factors affecting such practice, and describe the pattern of medications used.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-guided interview was carried out in the Bantul District, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. We included people aged 45 years and above, active member of an Integrated Health Service Post for the Elderly (IHSPE-E, posyandu lansia), have been diagnosed with stage 2 hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥100 mmHg) for more than six months prior to the study, and agreed to participate. People who could not communicate due to physical or mental problem were excluded. A pre-tested questionnaire in this study assessed sociodemographic characteristics, history of hypertension, and medication practice reported by patients. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used for analysis at p<0.05.

Results: One hundred eight patients involved in this study; most were female (87%), had low education level (57.4% of patients reported no schooling). The mean age was 67.2 ± 9 years, ranged from 45-90 years old. Twenty-nine of 108 patients (26.9%) currently used hypertension medication (answered “today” or “yesterday” for the question “when was the last time you took your hypertension medication?”). The mean duration of medication used in the preceding month was 17.2 ± 11.5 days (ranged from 3 – 30 days). Most of them (20 of 29, 67%) used monotherapy (captopril or amlodipine). A two-drug combination was reported by 8 (27.6%), while 1 (3.4%) only used three-drug medications. Gender, age, education, distance from public health centre), comorbidity, and the use of traditional medicines were not associated with the patients’ medication practice (p>0.05).

Conclusions: The treatment rate among stage 2 hypertensive patients in Indonesia was poor. This community setting survey highlighted the urgent need to identify underlying factors amid the low hypertension treatment rate.