Adverse drug reaction monitoring in patients of hypertension at a tertiary care hospital, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India

Background: Hypertension is one of the highest prevailing diseases worldwide. Due to long term therapy antihypertensive drugs are commonly associated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Therefore, the study was conducted with the objective to examine the incidence of different types of ADRs in drug treated hypertensive patients. Methods: Present study was a prospective cross sectional observational study carried out in the outpatient of department of medicine of MGM hospital, a tertiary care teaching hospital, in Aurangabad. 320 diagnosed hypertensive patients were studied. Questionnaire was asked and their prescription were analysed and follow up was done. Results: Among 320 patient’s 75 patients were reported ADR. Males accounted for higher percent of ADRs 46 (61%) than females 29 (38.6%). Most of the patients 147 (55.9%) were on mono therapy. Calcium channel blocker was the frequently used class of drug, showed maximum number of ADR (30.6%) followed by ACE inhibitor (28%) and ARB (21.3%). As per WHO-UMC scale, type of reactions and their percentage were as certain (9.3%), Probable/ Likely (64%), possible (22.6%), and unlikely (4%). According to Naranjo scale most of the reactions were possible (64%). severity assessment is done by Hartwig and Siegel scale. No lethal ADR were reported. 4% reactions were severe, 32% were of moderate category and 64% were mild reactions. Conclusions: Such type of studies are helpful in selection of appropriate medicines for hypertensive patients, enhancing patient adherence with the therapy by selecting medicines of lesser ADR profile, reducing unnecessary economic burden to the patients due to unwanted effects of the therapy.