Academic Journal
Trends in Antihypertensive Drug Use and Irrational Prescriptions Among Elderly Patients in China (2016–2023): A Nationwide Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Survey Study
| Title: | Trends in Antihypertensive Drug Use and Irrational Prescriptions Among Elderly Patients in China (2016–2023): A Nationwide Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Survey Study |
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| Authors: | Hong D, Chen W, Du S, Ren J, Lv D, Shan W, Lu X, Zhao Q |
| Source: | Drug Design, Development and Therapy, Vol 19, Iss Issue 1, Pp 5633-5644 (2025) |
| Publisher Information: | Dove Medical Press, 2025. |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Collection: | LCC:Therapeutics. Pharmacology |
| Subject Terms: | Elderly Hypertension, Antihypertensive Medication, Irrational Prescription, Trend Analysis, Contraindicated Medication, Therapeutics. Pharmacology, RM1-950 |
| Description: | Dongsheng Hong,1,2 Weihao Chen,1,3 Shuangshuang Du,1,4 Jinshuai Ren,1 Duo Lv,1 Wenya Shan,1 Xiaoyang Lu,1,2 Qingwei Zhao1,2 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Center for Innovative Drug Clinical Research and Application, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Clinical Evaluation and Translational Research, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Zhejiang Provincial Hospital Pharmacy Management Quality Control Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 4College of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaoyang Lu, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Center for Innovative Drug Clinical Research and Application, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Clinical Evaluation and Translational Research, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, People’s Republic of China, Email luxiaoyang@zju.edu.cn Qingwei Zhao, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Center for Innovative Drug Clinical Research and Application, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Clinical Evaluation and Translational Research, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, People’s Republic of China, Email qwzhao@zju.edu.cnPurpose: Hypertension is a common chronic condition among the elderly, and the rational use of antihypertensive medications is critical for blood pressure control. This study aimed to investigate trends in the use and irrational prescription of antihypertensive medications among elderly patients with hypertension in China from 2016 to 2023.Patients and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional design was applied to analyze the prescription of antihypertensive drugs in hypertensive patients aged 65 years and above, utilizing outpatient electronic medical record data from 78 hospitals in nine cities in China from 2016 to 2023. Antihypertensive medications were categorized into nine classes based on hypertension treatment guidelines. Annual trends in the use of these medications were analyzed using Annual Percentage Change (APC). Irrational prescriptions were defined as contraindicated medication prescriptions and inappropriate combination medication. Poisson regression models were employed to analyze trends and influencing factors for irrational prescriptions.Results: The number of patients increased from 396,408 to 542,215 during the study period. Calcium Channel Blockers had the highest usage but showed a slight decrease (APC=− 3.46%, P=0.011), while β-blockers showed a slight increase (APC=1.48%, P=0.028). The overall proportion of first-line antihypertensive prescriptions was 97.47% but showed a slight declining trend (APC=− 0.66%, P=0.004). The rates of inappropriate combination medication and overall irrational prescriptions decreased, while the rate of contraindicated medication prescriptions increased (P< 0.001). Factors including male gender, advanced age (≥ 85 years), northern regions, primary healthcare settings, and geriatrics departments were associated with higher risks of contraindicated medications.Conclusion: This study reveals the trends and patterns in antihypertensive medication use among elderly hypertensive patients in China from 2016 to 2023. While the overall use of first-line antihypertensive drugs remained high, there were differences across subgroups. The increasing rate of contraindicated medications and the identification of high-risk groups and clinical settings provide important insights for optimizing antihypertensive treatment in elderly populations.Keywords: elderly hypertension, antihypertensive medication, irrational prescription, trend analysis, contraindicated medication |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 1177-8881 |
| Relation: | https://www.dovepress.com/trends-in-antihypertensive-drug-use-and-irrational-prescriptions-among-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-DDDT; https://doaj.org/toc/1177-8881 |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/717414fcd34b4f42aa457f295d69b552 |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.717414fcd34b4f42aa457f295d69b552 |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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