Prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic drugs in outpatient hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND

It has been documented that NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic drugs) reduce the effectiveness of some antihypertensive drugs.

OBJECTIVE

Analyze the prescription of NSAID and the variables associated in outpatients with hypertension and explore some characteristics of the physicians.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Cross-sectional study, included patients with hypertension from the Family Medicine Unit No. 24 in Mante, Tamaulipas. From the patients, sociodemographic data, clinical history and pharmacological treatments were obtained. From the physicians, sociodemographic and academic information were collected.

RESULTS

Mean age of the patients was 63 ± 11 years and 31.7% were prescribed NSAIDs. When compare exposed versus non-exposed to NSAIDs, being in uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled hypertension, multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The variables associated to the prescription of NSAIDs were: uncontrolled hypertension, multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The 56.7% of the physicians were women, 83.3% with experience >10 years and 33.3% with current certification by the Council in Family Medicine.

CONCLUSIONS

The inappropriate prescription of NSAIDs revealed the need to implement actions to mitigate the potential risk for the hypertension patients to present a complication.