[Direction of pharmacotherapeutic changes used in cardiovascular diseases assessed by examination of two population samples from Warsaw].

The aim of the study was to analyse the changes in pharmacotherapy of ischaemic heart disease (HD) and arterial hypertension (AH) between 1984 and 1988 using the results of screenings of two independent samples of Warsaw inhabitants. In this period the prevalence of IHD in Warsaw population aged 35-64 increased by 4.3% (from 30.3% to 31.6%) as well as the percentage of treated subjects by 19.5% (from 39.0% to 46.6%). Prevalence of arterial hypertension (AH) decreased in this period by 4.7% (from 35.8% to 34.1%) whereas the percentage of undertaking pharmacotherapy in these patients increased by 47.9% (from 33.8% to 50.0%) as well as the effectiveness of undertaken treatment (goal of treatment: < or = 160/95 mmHg) increased by 115.8% (from 22.8% to 49.2%). In subjects with IHD selected from general population the consumption of nitrates, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers increased and these drugs were the most frequently taken in IHD. In treatment of AH diuretics, the most frequently used in 1984, were replaced, to some extent, in 1988 by beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. Consumption of drugs by general population, expressed in DDD/1000 i/day, changed too--the consumption of beta blockers increased in 1988 twice, of calcium channel blockers 3-fold and of nitrates 1.5 fold, whereas that of dipyridamole decreased by 60%, while comparing of these consumption in 1984.