Adherence to antihypertensive fixed-dose combination among Egyptian patients presenting with essential hypertension

Contribution of single-pill combinations in the management of hypertension: perspectives from China, Europe and the USA

Uncontrolled hypertension is associated with an increased risk of adverse clinical vascular outcomes and death. Hypertension management guidelines from China and the USA recommend initiation of antihypertensive pharmacotherapy with a single drug for patients without severe hypertension at presentation. Current European hypertension guidelines take a different approach and recommend the use of combination therapy from the time of diagnosis of hypertension for most patients. This article reviews the burden of hypertension in these countries and summarises the evidence base for the use of antihypertensive combination therapy contained within a single tablet (single-pill combinations, SPC). Typically, half or less of populations from China, Europe and the USA who were found to have hypertension were aware of their condition, less than half of those receiving treatment, and fewer still achieved adequate blood pressure (BP) control. The reasons for the unaddressed burden of hypertension are complex and multifactorial, with contributions from factors related to patients, healthcare providers and healthcare systems. The use of SPCs of antihypertensive therapies helps to optimise adherence with therapy and is likely to result in superior BP control. There is a strong evidence base to support current European guideline recommendations on the initiation of antihypertensive therapy with SPCs for the majority of people with hypertension.

Global Burden, Regional Differences, Trends, and Health Consequences of Medication Nonadherence for Hypertension During 2010 to 2020: A Meta-Analysis Involving 27 Million Patients

Background

Nonadherence to antihypertensive medications is the leading cause of poor blood pressure control and thereby cardiovascular diseases and mortality worldwide.

Methods and Results

We investigated the global epidemiology, regional differences, and trend of antihypertensive medication nonadherence via a systematic review and meta‐analyses of data from 2010 to 2020. Multiple medical databases and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for articles. Observational studies reporting the proportion of patients with anti‐hypertensive medication nonadherence were included. The proportion of nonadherence, publication year, year of first recruitment, country, and health outcomes attributable to antihypertensive medication nonadherence were extracted. Two reviewers screened abstracts and full texts, classified countries according to levels of income and locations, and extracted data. The Joanna Briggs Institute prevalence critical appraisal tool was used to rate the included studies. Prevalence meta‐analyses were conducted using a fixed‐effects model, and trends in prevalence were analyzed using meta‐regression. The certainty of evidence concerning the effect of health consequences of nonadherence was rated according to Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations. A total of 161 studies were included. Subject to different detection methods, the global prevalence of anti‐hypertensive medication nonadherence was 27% to 40%. Nonadherence was more prevalent in low‐ to middle‐income countries than in high‐income countries, and in non‐Western countries than in Western countries. No significant trend in prevalence was detected between 2010 and 2020. Patients with antihypertensive medication nonadherence had suboptimal blood pressure control, complications from hypertension, all‐cause hospitalization, and all‐cause mortality.

Conclusions

While high prevalence of anti‐hypertensive medication nonadherence was detected worldwide, higher prevalence was detected in low‐ to middle‐income and non‐Western countries. Interventions are urgently required, especially in these regions. Current evidence is limited by high heterogeneity.

Registration

URL: www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/; Unique identifier: CRD42021259860.

Trends in Antihypertensive Medicine Utilization in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina: An Eleven-Year Follow-Up

Background: In last 2 decades, there have been substantial changes in the utilization patterns of antihypertensive medicines following new clinical trials and the introduction of new treatment guidelines. The aim of this study was to analyze utilization and prescribing patterns regarding antihypertensive medicines in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina during an 11-years follow-up according to national and European treatment guidelines.

Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, medicine utilization data were analyzed between 2009–2019 period using the ATC/DDD methodology and expressed as the number of DDD/1,000 inhabitants/day (DID/TID). The medicine utilization 90% (DU90%) method was used for determine the quality of prescribing.

Results: During the observed period, the use of antihypertensive medicines increased more than 3-times (125.97 DDD/TID in 2009 vs 414.95 DDD/TID in 2019), corresponding to a rise in the prevalence of hypertensive patients from 91.7/1,000 to 186.3/1,000 in the same period. This was mainly driven by increased use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors with 241.69%, beta blockers with 146.87%, calcium channel blockers with 251.55%, and diuretics with 178.95%. Angiotensin receptor blockers were the fastest growing group of antihypertensive medicines in this period and their utilization increased nearly 40 times.

Conclusions: The overall antihypertensive medicines utilization was largely influenced by national and ESH/ESC guidelines and strongly corresponded to the positive medicine list of the national health insurance fund. Antihypertensive medicines utilization is comparable with medicine utilization trends in other countries.

A semi-systematic review on hypertension and dyslipidemia care in Egypt-highlighting evidence gaps and recommendations for better patient outcomes

BACKGROUND

Both hypertension and dyslipidemia are considered as major modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and their prevalence in Egypt has increased in recent years. Evidence-based systematic evaluation of data on hypertension and dyslipidemia is critical for effective patient-centric management to reduce the overall risk of CVDs in Egypt. This semi-systematic review aimed to quantify and identify data gaps in the prevalence and distribution of patient journey touchpoints including awareness, screening, diagnosis, treatment, adherence, and control of hypertension and dyslipidemia to provide the basis for research prioritization, practice guidance, and health care reforms in Egypt.

MAIN BODY

Structured search was conducted on MEDLINE and Embase to identify articles published in English between January 2010 and December 2019 that reported key patient journey touchpoints in hypertension and dyslipidemia management. Unstructured search was conducted on public or government websites with no date restriction. Data from all sources were extracted and presented descriptively. In total, 22 studies published between 1995 and 2020 on hypertension and dyslipidemia were included in the final analyses. The prevalence of hypertension in Egypt ranged from 12.1 to 59%. Studies reported awareness (37.5% and 43.9%), diagnosis (42% and 64.7%), treatment (24% and 54.1%), and adherence to antihypertensive medication (51.9%) to be low. Furthermore, the percentage of patients who had their blood pressure controlled ranged from 8 to 53.2%. The prevalence of dyslipidemia varied in the general population (range 19.2-36.8%) but was higher in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (50.9% and 52.5%) and coronary artery disease (58.7%). A national report indicated that 8.6% of the general population was screened for dyslipidemia; however, no data was available on the diagnosis and treatment rates. Among ACS patients, 73.9% were treated for dyslipidemia. Data indicated low levels of medication adherence (59%) among dyslipidemia patients, with overall low control rates ranging from 5.1 to 34.4% depending on CVD risk in populations including ACS patients.

CONCLUSION

Data on patient journey touchpoints of hypertension and dyslipidemia are limited in Egypt, indicating the need for more systematic and high-quality evidence-based studies covering different aspects of patient-centric management for better management of CVD and its risk factors.

Adherence to Antithrombotic Treatment and Ischemic Stroke Recurrence in Egypt and Germany: A Comparative Analysis

BACKGROUND

The burden of stroke weighs heavily in developing countries where recurrence rates clearly exceed that of developed countries. The impact of nonadherence to antithrombotic treatment within this context has been poorly investigated.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate patients with recurrent ischemic stroke in Egypt and Germany with focus on stroke subtype distribution and adherence to antithrombotic therapy.

METHODS

We conducted a comparative cross-sectional retrospective cohort study enrolling consecutive patients hospitalized for recurrent ischemic stroke in 2017 in 2 academic centers. Data were collected on demographics, risk factors, stroke subtypes, and medication adherence. Nonadherence to antithrombotic agents was analyzed at the time point of index stroke (recurrent stroke). Predictors of nonadherence were analyzed using logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 373 Egyptian and 468 German patients with ischemic stroke were included. The proportion of recurrent ischemic stroke among all patients was higher in the Egyptian cohort compared to the German cohort (33 vs. 10%, p < 0.05). Small-vessel occlusion stroke was the most frequent subtype in Egyptians, with a significantly greater proportion than in Germans (45 vs. 26%, p < 0.05). Nonadherence to antiplatelets at the time point of the recurrent stroke was higher in Egyptians than in Germans (82 vs. 19%, p < 0.001). Low educational attainment among Egyptians (OR 0.14, 95% CI [0.00-0.19], p < 0.01) and high comorbidity scores among Germans (OR 2.45, 95% CI [1.06-5.66], p < 0.05) were found to be predictors of nonadherence to antithrombotic treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The large stroke recurrence burden in Egypt may be partly explained by differing adherence to secondary preventative antithrombotic pharmacotherapy. Predictors of medication nonadherence have to be addressed to reduce stroke recurrence disparities.