Hypertension remains a major public health concern in Qatar but scant statistics are available on the aliment.
The latest edition of World Family Medicine Journal reported, in Qatar, there is little information regarding performance of primary care in the management of hypertension, though it plays a very important role in the diagnosis and management of hypertension.
The disease can progress and lead to the deterioration of vital organs, particularly kidney, cardiovascular system, eyes and brain. To prevent the progression and serious complications of the disease, proper diagnosis and management of the disease remains paramount.
In this backdrop, the Hamad General Hospital (HGH) yesterday launched an Anti-Hypertension awareness campaign to educate the public about drugs and its correct usage.
Pharmacists from the Pharmacy Department at HGH will educate patients and their families about various types of anti-hypertension drugs prescribed and the need for proper medication, for effective control of hypertension at this four-day awareness campaign.
“We educate patients to be more motivated by knowing about the anti–hypertension drugs they take. So the patient will be more committed and know proper way of taking medicine and follow a correct life style,” said Ahmed Abdul Aziz Bahi, Hospital Pharmacist at HGH.
High blood pressure is a risk factor for developing a cardiovascular disease and kidney damage; the higher blood pressure the greater the health risk. But high blood pressure is just one of the several possible risk factors for developing a cardiovascular disease. “Untreated hypertension can lead to many other diseases. One of it is congested heart failure. We call it actually the silent killer because the blood pressure keeps rising inside your body without any symptoms,” said Bahi.
Hypertension is a complicated condition and can vary from person to person. “The cause is not known in 90 percent of blood pressure cases; this is known as essential hypertension. Only in 10 percent of cases blood pressure is caused by other conditions. It is the secondary hypertension,” said Rana Moustafa Al Adawi, Pharmacist at HGH.
A recent study investigated the management of hypertension in a primary health centre in Ras Laffan Industrial City through a cross-sectional revision, with data of 500 hypertension cases, which was randomly retrieved from the medical centre’s electronic database, during the period of one year.
In general, the doctors in primary care performed most hypertension work—up to around 60 percent of cases.
More than two thirds of the patients received only one drug, 21 percent received two drugs and the rest had three or more drugs. Nearly half of the patients had no improvement in their blood pressure. Although this performance is comparable or better than that in some other areas, there is still room for improvement.
Special brochures, flyers and patient education materials will be distributed at the awareness campaign, which will run till December 2 at the Out Patient Department (OPD) lobby from 8am to noon.
Fazeena Saleem
The Peninsula