PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF ANTIHYPERTENSIVES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH HYPERTENSION ALONE AND WITH COEXISTING DIABETES MELLITUS – A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Objective: Analysis of prescribing pattern of antihypertensives in patients with hypertension alone and with coexisting diabetes mellitus.

Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in an outpatient and inpatient department of general medicine at JJM Medical College hospital for a period of 3 months (July 2011 to September 2011). Prescriptions of the patients were collected and relevant data was entered in the preformed proforma and analyzed.

Results: A total of 210 prescriptions were analyzed using chi square test. Out of which 126 prescriptions were of  patients with hypertension alone which contain calcium channel blockers (30%), beta blockers (26%), angiotensin receptor blockers (15%), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (4%) and fixed dose combinations of  angiotensin receptor blockers with hydrochlorothiazide  (11%) and combination of amlodipine with hydro-chlorothiazide  (2.5%).84 Prescriptions of  hypertension with coexisting diabetes mellitus had calcium channel blockers (24%), angiotensin converting  enzyme inhibitors (19%), angiotensin receptor blockers  (13%), beta blockers (13%), and fixed dose combinations of  angiotensin receptor blockers with  hydrochlorothiazide  (18%) and combination of amlodipine with hydrochlorothiazide  (6%).[χ²=17.01, p=o.oo4]

Conclusion- The present study shows that angiotensin converting enzyme  inhibitors because of its beneficial effects which are well known are more commonly prescribed drugs in individuals with hypertension with coexisting diabetes mellitus. Calcium channel blockers and newly introduced angiotensin receptor blockers alone or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide are preferred drugs in both the study groups. Beta blockers are less preferred in patients of hypertension with coexisting diabetes mellitus for obvious reasons.