Characteristics of Patients with Hypertension at a Nicaraguan Clinic.

OBJECTIVE

Describe the characteristics and pharmacological management of hypertensive patients in a Nicaraguan ambulatory care clinic.

METHODS

The study analyzed a random sample of 349 charts of patients aged older than 18 years from an ambulatory care clinic in Nicaragua and analyzed those who were diagnosed or had a known history of hypertension.

RESULTS

Out of 349 patients, 19.77% (n=69) had a history of hypertension. Hypertensive patients were 66.2% female (n=45) with mean age of 56.1 years (SD=13.7). The most common comorbid condition was type 2 diabetes mellitus, which was present in 18.8% (n=13) of hypertensive patients. Other comorbid conditions included 10% (n=7) with chronic kidney disease and 75.8% (n=50) who were either overweight or obese. The most commonly prescribed antihypertensive medications were losartan, captopril, and enalapril.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypertension is common in this clinic population and most commonly treated with angiotension-receptor blockers or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.