Evaluation of Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Hypertension at the Out-Patients Clinic, Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria

Background: Effective blood pressure control prevents most complications associated with hypertension. Despite the benefits of effective blood pressure control, most known hypertensive patients are not on medications, and only few of those on medications have their blood pressure adequately controlled. Aim: This study aimed at evaluating the clinical outcomes of various antihypertensive drugs taken by patients attending the out-patient clinic at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State Nigeria. Method: The research was a cross-sectional, descriptive study of patients with hypertension attending clinic at the Medical Outpatient Department of the facility. Subjective and objective information were obtained from patients using a structured questionnaire and case files respectively. One hundred and thirty-seven patients were sampled and data collected using questionnaire and structured interview. Ethical clearance was obtained from the institution’s Ethical Review Board of FMC Owo. The data collected was analyzed using Microsoft excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 16.0). Results: Most (69.3%) of the respondents were female and majority of them were above 50 years of age (79.6%). More than half (52.5%) of the patients were taking combinations of two medications. ACEI/ARB and calcium channel blockers were the most common combination prescribed. About a third (33.6%, n=46) of the patients were not compliant with their medications. Overall, only a little above half (51.1%) of the respondents had reached target blood pressure goal. Only those with dysrhythmias and chronic cardiac failure as co-morbidity had achieved the blood pressure goal. Conclusion: Majority of the participants used more than one medication in the management of hypertension. Diuretics were the most widely used. Even though Angiotensin Converting Enzymes inhibitors (ACEIs)/Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists (ARBs) with Diuretics are frequently prescribed and used by patients. Some of the patients were not compliant with their medications and almost half of the patients are not at blood pressure goal.