• Oluseyi Adejumo, Enajite Okaka, and Ikponmwosa Iyawe.
• Kidney Care Centre, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria.
• Malawi Med J. 2017 Jun 1; 29 (2): 113-117.

BackgroundThe prevalence of hypertension and attendant cardiovascular disease burden is increasing globally. Auditing antihypertensive prescriptions and assessing patients with hypertension for blood pressure (BP) control are important steps on the path to reducing hypertension-related morbidity, mortality, and health expenditure. This study assessed the prescription pattern of antihypertensive medications and BP control among hypertensive outpatients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Benin City, Nigeria.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional descriptive study that involved 224 hypertensive patients. Information obtained from participants included sociodemographic data, duration of hypertension, history of diabetes mellitus, and number and classes of antihypertensive medications used. Good BP control was defined as a mean BP less than 140/90mmHg.ResultsThe mean age of hypertensive subjects was 59.6 ± 12.2 years, with a male:female ratio of 1:1.9 and a median duration of hypertension of 5 years. Twenty-four participants (10.7%) had both hypertension and diabetes. The common classes of antihypertensive medications used were diuretics, calcium channel blockers (CCB), and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs). Forty participants (17.8%) were on monotherapy, while the rest were on multidrug therapy. The most commonly prescribed antihypertensive combination was diuretic + ACEI/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), followed by diuretic + CCB + ACEI/ARB. Good BP control was observed in 120 participants (53.6%). The proportion of patients with good BP control was largest among patients on monotherapy and those with tertiary education, though these observations were not statistically significant.ConclusionsThe pattern of prescribed antihypertensive medications complied with recommended guidelines. Blood pressure control amongst hypertensive patients was unsatisfactory. More efforts should be geared towards better BP control.

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