Prescribing patterns for angiotensin II-receptor blockers in an Italian antihypertensive division: A retrospective chart review

Background: Hypertension is a recognized risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (eg, myocardial infarction, stroke, arrhythmias, coronary events, heart failure) and for progression of renal disease. In 1995, a new class of antihypertensive drugs—angiotensin II (AII)-receptor blockers (ARBs)—became available for treatment. Objectives: In this retrospective study, we aimed to (1) determine the frequency of prescriptions for ARBs compared with those for all other antihypertensive drugs and (2) examine the indications for, and profile of, the use of ARBs in antihypertensive pharmacotherapy over a 2-year period (July 1997–June 1999). Methods: Medical records of patients who were being treated for the first time at the Division of Hypertension, University of Bari Medical School (Bari, Italy) were included. The investigators analyzed the medical records of patients with grade 1, 2, or 3 essential hypertension, as well as those with a history of essential hypertension whose blood pressure had been normalized by treatment before this first visit and who were already receiving antihypertensive drugs or who were being prescribed antihypertensive drugs for the first time at this visit. Results: The medical records of 880 patients (466 women, 414 men; mean [SD] ages, 55.0 [10.8] and 53.6 [11.3] years, respectively) were included in the study. ARBs accounted for 6% of all antihypertensive prescriptions. No correlation was found between receiving a prescription for an ARB and sex, age group, heart rate, or body mass index. ARB monotherapy was inversely correlated ( P P P Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that although ARBs were prescribed infrequently and cautiously, their prescription rate increased over time, suggesting that this medication is gaining acceptance as treatment for hypertension.