LAUSR

AIMS To evaluate the grade of knowledge of hypertension in hypertensive patients. METHOD Cross-sectional descriptive multicentre study. Primary and specialized care centres in Spain. PARTICIPANTS 980 hypertensive patients, older than 18 years, with pharmacological treatment. MAIN VARIABLES Years of diagnosis, risk factors, blood pressure, abdominal circumference, body mass index, adherence to medication (Morisky-Green test) and the items of a validated questionnaire on knowledge. RESULTS 50% were women, mean age 65 years. Seventy-eight percent lived with family, 46% over 10 years old diagnosed with hypertension. In relation to adherence to medication, 56.6% were not compliant, forgetting being the first cause. Knowledge about hypertension 41.7% said that no one had explained it, 35.8% did not consider hypertension a lifelong process, and only 42.3% knew the objectives of blood pressure. The area of major lack of knowledge of the risk of hypertension was the problems caused by hypertension in the kidney, only 48.6% answered affirmatively. In relation to medication, only 41.4% knew it is for life. Statistically significant differences were also observed between the level of knowledge and the level of studies (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS Basic knowledge about hypertension remains low in these patients. These results enable future interventions to be oriented by promoting therapeutic education to the patient and improving their involvement in the disease in order to better control their hypertension.