Antihypertensive therapy in patients with arterial hypertension and concomitant diseases in real clinical practice (according to the National Registry of Arterial Hypertension, 2019–2022)

Background. Arterial hypertension (AH) remains the leading risk factor associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cerebrovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. About 70% of patients with AH who are on monotherapy cannot achieve blood pressure (BP) targets, and therefore all quidelines for the management of AH have recently recommended prescribing combination therapy (PCT). In real clinical practice (RCP), there remains significant uncertainty in the effectiveness and rationality of therapy, despite the wide availability of antihypertensive drugs (AHD) and the presence of recommendations for a stepwise approach to prescribing combinations of specific groups of AHD in different clinical situations.

Aim. Analyze the real ongoing antihypertensive therapy, including the PCT; international nonproprietary names of drugs and their dosages in RCP; compliance of therapy with clinical recommendations; changing trends in the PCT.

Materials and methods. An analysis was carried out of the data from the register of AH, the compliance of treatment in different clinical groups of patients and the achievement of BP and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets in the sample of 2019–2022 (n=5012). The prescription of AHD and achievement of targets values were assessed in accordance with current clinical guidelines for the management of AH and hypercholesterolemia. Data from 2010 (n=7782) and 2020 (n=3061) were analyzed to assess the dynamics of prescription of monotherapy and PCT.

Results. The greatest increase in the number of AHD was observed in patients with hypertension in combination with coronary heart disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. In a small group of patients with hypertension without other CVDs, the recommended combinations of AHD were not prescribed; preference was given to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and β-adrenoblocker (β-AB). PCT mainly differed from the recommended combinations by the wider use of drugs from the β-AB group. The PCT of recommended drugs was highest in patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease – more than 90%, hypertension and heart failure in 56.2%, hypertension and atrial fibrillation – 33.3%, hypertension and chronic kidney desease – 19.6%. Achievement of BP and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets was insufficient in all analyzed groups. Among the international nonproprietary names of drugs, the most frequently prescribed are the following: bisoprolol, metoprolol, lisinopril, perindopril, losartan, spironolactone, amlodipine, torasemide, indapamide, hypochlorothiazide, moxonidine. The prescribed daily dosages were closer to the initial recommended ones. By 2020, the prescription of PCT with β-AB and a more uniform prescription of various combinations will come to the fore, while PCT in 2010 is characterized by the presence of one or two leaders combinations.

Conclusion. The described features of prescribing AHD partially reproduce clinical recommendations for the management of AH. Differences in therapy provided in RCP may be associated with an attempt to intensify the treatment of hypertension in patients with other concomitant CVDs. At the same time, analysis of combinations and dosages of prescribed drugs suggests the presence of wide opportunities for further escalation of therapy. The presented data can provide insight into current patterns of antihypertensive therapy prescription in patients in RCP and lay the foundation for optimizing therapy in different categories hypertensive patients.