[Drug consumption and arterial hypertension in a rural population].

Background: The incidence of arterial hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases has undergone an increase in Spain during recent years, particularly in rural areas, as a consequence of progressive population aging. A study is made of drug prescriptions associated with non-complicated arterial hypertension in a rural setting.

Methods: Field work was initiated in four rural municipalities of Castellon province on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, with highly aged populations. Out of a total population of 1064, 60% made use of the area health care services in the course of year. Of these, 11% had at one time or other suffered one or more episodes of non-complicated arterial hypertension.

Results: The drugs most commonly prescribed were calcium antagonists, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and diuretics, although differences in order of importance were seen depending on patients age. The cost of the active components prescribed were below the average of those commercialized within each therapeutic group.

Conclusions: To conclude, interactions were detected with other drugs used by the patients while on hypotensives. The most relevant in this sense were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents; consumption of these drug was very high, in part also due to the high incidence of osteomuscular complaints among the geriatric population of the zone.