Non-adherence to Drug Therapy for Hypertension is Critical and Underestimated in Mexican Patients: A Study from the First Contact Level
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Abstract
Adherence, in a healthcare context, refers to the extent to which a person’s behavior aligns with recommendations from a healthcare provider. This can involve taking medication as prescribed, following a specific diet, or adhering to lifestyle changes. Although it is known that adherence is critical and requires a special approach to health, in Mexico, there are few studies on this issue. We confirm the information collected from 786 patients using an original questionnaire (AFEC) in Spanish, previously validated. Perfect adherence was detected in only 179 (22.8%), good adherence in 334 (42.5%), and nonadherence in 452 (57.5%). The age, obesity, and number of comorbidities were significantly associated with non-adherence (p < 0.05). Special strategies to approach this critical problem in health need to be reconsidered in Mexico. Non-adherence may help explain the low control rate of Mexican patients and the high rate of cardiovascular mortality.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Rosas-Peralta M, et al.
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