Utilization patterns of antihypertensive drugs in the management of hypertension among patients with chronic kidney disease at a tertiary hospital

Abstract

Background: Objective of the current investigation was to identify the utilization patterns of antihypertensive drugs among hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease at Sultan Qaboos university hospital. Methods: This is a retrospective study of the utilization patterns of antihypertensive drugs that were prescribed to 181 hypertensive patients with CKD. Patients’ data and drugs’ data were collected from the hospital track care system and analysed. Results: The results show that diuretics were prescribed for 63.53% of the patients followed by β-blockers (61.3%). Drugs were prescribed orally to 90% of the patients. Furosemide was prescribed to 55.8% of patients followed by amlodipine (55.2%). The majority of the patients were on multiple antihypertensive medications (84%). There was no significant difference between drug utilization in patients with albuminuria and those without albuminuria. Among patients with CKD stages two and three, β-blockers were the most common antihypertensive drugs being utilized. Among patients with stage 4 and stage 5, calcium channel blockers and diuretics were the most common antihypertensive drugs being utilized. The prescription of angiotensin II receptor blockers and direct vasodilators showed a significant difference among different stages of CKD. Conclusions: This study showed that diuretics were the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drugs among the study cohort. The majority of the patients were on multiple antihypertensive medications.