Duration of initial antihypertensive prescription and medication adherence: a cohort study among 203,259 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.

Background: Optimal adherence with antihypertensive medications is crucial to prevent hypertension-related complications. This study evaluated whether the duration of initial antihypertensive prescription is associated with better medication adherence in a large sample of Chinese hypertensive patients.

Methods And Results: From a validated clinical database which consists of all patients in the public healthcare sector in Hong Kong, all patients on their first-ever antihypertensive agent from 2001 to 2005 (N=203,259) were included and followed-up for 12 months (and up to 5 years in separate analyses).

Factors associated with multimorbidity and its link with poor blood pressure control among 223,286 hypertensive patients.

Multimorbidity has become the norm worldwide as populations age. It remains, however, infrequently researched. This study evaluated factors associated with multimorbidity in a predominantly Chinese hypertensive population.

The incidence of cancer deaths among hypertensive patients in a large Chinese population: a cohort study.

Current evidence is mixed regarding the association between antihypertensive prescriptions and cancer mortality. We evaluated this association in a large Chinese hypertensive population. We followed for five years all patients who were prescribed their first-ever antihypertensive agents between 2001 and 2005 in a public healthcare sector of Hong Kong.

Cardiovascular mortality in hypertensive patients newly prescribed perindopril vs. lisinopril: a 5-year cohort study of 15,622 Chinese subjects.

Background: Perindopril and lisinopril are two common ACE inhibitors prescribed for management of hypertension. Few studies have evaluated their comparative effectiveness to reduce mortality. This study compared the all-cause and cardiovascular related mortality among patients newly prescribed ACE inhibitors.

The effectiveness of metoprolol versus atenolol on prevention of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a large Chinese population: a cohort study.

Background: Existing trials almost exclusively used atenolol to represent the entire β-blocker class, and it is unknown whether there are intra-class differences. We compared the incidence of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, blood pressure (BP) control and adherence levels between patients newly prescribed atenolol vs. metoprolol tartrate.

Exposure to air pollutants and mortality in hypertensive patients according to demography: a 10 year case-crossover study.

This study evaluated whether short term exposures to NO2, O3, particulate matter <10 mm in diameter (PM10) were associated with higher risk of mortality. A total of 223,287 hypertensive patients attended public health-care services and newly prescribed at least 1 antihypertensive agent were followed-up for up to 5 years. A time-stratified, bi-directional case-crossover design was adopted.

Predictors of the incidence of all-cause mortality and deaths due to diabetes and renal diseases among patients newly prescribed antihypertensive agents: a cohort study.

Background: Randomized trials have shown that the major antihypertensive drug classes are similarly effective to reduce mortality, but whether these drug class difference exists in clinical practice has been scarcely explored. This study evaluated the association between antihypertensive drug class, all-cause mortality and deaths due to diabetes or renal disease in real-life clinical settings.

Methods: A clinical database in Hong Kong included all patients who were prescribed their first-ever antihypertensive agents between 2001 and 2005 from the public healthcare sector.

Antihypertensive prescriptions over a 10-year period in a large Chinese population.

Background: International guidelines recommending antihypertensive prescriptions for the management of hypertension have been published in the past decade. Beta-blocker use was discouraged by a significant body of evidence and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were found more effective among younger patients. This study aims to evaluate the trends in prescription profiles in a large Chinese population because patterns of antihypertensive agent dispensation represent important information for physicians and policymakers.

Initial antihypertensive prescription and switching: a 5 year cohort study from 250,851 patients.

Purpose: Adverse effects of antihypertensive therapy incur substantial cost. We evaluated whether any major classes of antihypertensive drugs were significantly associated with switching as a proxy measure of medication side effects in a large Chinese population in Hong Kong.

Methods: From a clinical database, all adult patients newly prescribed an antihypertensive mono-therapy in Hong Kong between the years 2001-2003 and 2005 were included.

Drug adherence and the incidence of coronary heart disease- and stroke-specific mortality among 218,047 patients newly prescribed an antihypertensive medication: a five-year cohort study.

Background: Randomized trials have shown that optimal adherence to antihypertensive agents could protect against cardiovascular diseases, but whether adherence reduces cardiovascular deaths in community settings has not been explored so fully. This study evaluates the association between antihypertensive adherence and cardiovascular (coronary heart disease and stroke) mortality in the primary care settings.

Methods: From a territory-wide database in Hong Kong, we included all patients who were prescribed their first-ever antihypertensive agents in the years between 2001 and 2005 from the public healthcare sector.

Medication adherence to first-line antihypertensive drug class in a large Chinese population.

Purpose: Suboptimal adherence to antihypertensive agents leads to adverse clinical outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the association between first-line antihypertensive drug class and medication adherence in a large Chinese population.

Methods: All patients prescribed ≥ one antihypertensive drug in 2001-2003 and 2005 who have paid at least two consecutive clinic visits in the public healthcare system of Hong Kong were included.