Background: Self-management of hypertension, comprising self-monitoring of blood pressure with self-titration of medication, improves blood pressure control, but little is known regarding the views of patients undertaking it.

Aim: To explore patients' views of self-monitoring blood pressure and self-titration of antihypertensive medication.

Design And Setting: Qualitative study embedded within the randomised controlled trial TASMINH2 (Telemonitoirng and Self Management in the Control of Hypertension) trial of patient self-management of hypertension from 24 general practices in the West Midlands.

Method: Taped and transcribed semi-structured interviews with 23 intervention patients were used. Six family members were also interviewed. Analysis was by a constant comparative method.

Results: Patients were confident about self-monitoring and many felt their multiple home readings were more valid than single office readings taken by their GP. Although many patients self-titrated medication when required, others lacked the confidence to increase medication without reconsulting with their GP. Patients were more comfortable with titrating medication if their blood pressure readings were substantially above target, but were reluctant to implement such a change if readings were borderline. Many planned to continue self-monitoring after the study finished and report home readings to their GP, but few wished to continue with a self-management plan.

Conclusion: Participants valued the additional information and many felt confident in both self-monitoring blood pressure and self-titrating medication. The reluctance to change medication for borderline readings suggests behaviour similar to the clinical inertia seen for physicians in analogous circumstances. Additional support for those lacking in confidence to implement prearranged medication changes may allow more patients to undertake self-management.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3268493PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12X625201DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

blood pressure
24
self-monitoring blood
16
pressure self-titration
12
medication
8
self-titration medication
8
qualitative study
8
self-management hypertension
8
confident self-monitoring
8
self-monitoring
6
blood
6

Similar Publications

The implication of pericardial effusion in the third trimester for preeclampsia and heart failure in high-risk pregnant women.

J Echocardiogr

January 2025

Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University School of Medicine, 1035 Dalgubeol-Daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu, 42601, Republic of Korea.

Background: With the growing number of high-risk pregnant women, echocardiography frequently reveals pericardial effusion (PE). However, the clinical implications of PE are unknown.

Method: We analyzed a cohort of 406 high-risk pregnant women who underwent echocardiography in the third trimester between November 2019 and December 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Although anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity is widely studied, only a limited number of echocardiographic studies have assessed cardiac function in breast cancer survivors (BCSs) beyond ten years from anthracycline treatment, and the knowledge of long-term cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in this population is scarce. This study aimed to compare CRF assessed as peak oxygen uptake (V̇O), cardiac morphology and function, and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors between long-term BCSs treated with anthracyclines and controls with no history of cancer.

Methods: The CAUSE (Cardiovascular Survivors Exercise) trial included 140 BCSs recruited through the Cancer Registry of Norway, who were diagnosed with breast cancer stage II to III between 2008 and 2012 and had received treatment with epirubicin, and 69 similarly aged activity level-matched controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: We sought to investigate the expression of MALAT1, plasma brain natriuretic peptide, and Tei index in sepsis-induced myocardial injury.

Methods: The current retrospective analysis focused on 146 sepsis patients admitted to our hospital from February 2021 to March 2023. Based on the presence or absence of myocardial injury, the patients were divided into two groups: the sepsis group (n = 80) and the sepsis-induced myocardial injury group (n = 66).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Although surviving sepsis campaign (SSC) guidelines are the standard for sepsis and septic shock management, outcomes are still unfavourable. Given that perfusion pressure in sepsis is heterogeneous among patients and within the same patient; we evaluated the impact of individualized hemodynamic management via the transcranial Doppler (TCD) pulsatility index (PI) on mortality and outcomes among sepsis-induced encephalopathy (SIE) patients.

Methods: In this prospective, single-center randomized controlled study, 112 patients with SIE were randomly assigned.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Long-term efficacy of Mirabegron-anticholinergic combination in paediatric neurogenic bladder.

J Pediatr Urol

January 2025

Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Kings College London, London, UK; Children's Bladder Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK.

Introduction: The Mirabegron-anticholinergic (MAC) combination has proven effective as a step-up strategy in managing paediatric neurogenic bladder following anticholinergic medication and botulinum toxin (BTX) therapy. This study assesses the long-term efficacy of MAC in children with neurogenic bladder.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted from 2015 to 2023, including consecutive paediatric patients receiving Mirabegron (25/50 mg) with an anticholinergic agent (solifenacin 16, tolterodine 7, oxybutynin 7, trospium 1).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!