Abstract

Diabetes and hypertension are two major non-communicable diseases that commonly coexist and increase the risk of cardiovascular and renal complications. Objectives: to evaluate the prescribing pattern of antihypertensive drugs in diabetic patients with hypertension at a tertiary care center.Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at a tertiary care center in suryapet over six months. The study included all diabetic patients with hypertension who visited the outpatient department during the study period. The data were collected through patient interviews and medical records. Demographic and clinical data were recorded, including age, gender, duration of diabetes, and blood pressure. The antihypertensive drugs prescribed were recorded, along with the dose and frequency of administration.Results: A total of 250 diabetic patients with hypertension were included in the study. The majority of the patients were male (56%). The mean age was 58.6 years (SD=10.2), and the mean duration of diabetes was 9.8 years (SD=5.2). The most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drugs were angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) (57%), followed by calcium channel blockers (CCBs) (29%) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) (27%). The most commonly prescribed combination therapy was ACEIs and CCBs (23%). The average number of antihypertensive drugs prescribed per patient was 1.9 (SD=0.7).Conclusion: This study showed that ACEIs were the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drugs in diabetic patients with hypertension at the tertiary care center. Combination therapy with ACEIs and CCBs was the most commonly prescribed. The findings suggest the need for improved adherence to evidence-based guidelines in the management of hypertension in diabetic patients

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