Antihypertensive drug use in patients having comorbid diabetes: Cross sectional prescription pattern study in a tertiary care hospital

Objectives: Hypertension and diabetes when present together are associated with a multitude of complications, all of which result in increased morbidity and mortality. This makes it vital to, not only make an early detection of the disease, but also to make the best use amongst the wide array of drugs available for treatment. This study aims at analyzing the influence of current guidelines on prescribing in this particular subset of patients. Methods: Case history of patients having hypertension along with diabetes was noted down from the medical records department. Diabetes was further sub classified into those who had and did not have nephropathy. Drugs prescribed in each of these groups were noted and pattern analyzed. A total of 128 prescriptions were of diabetes, amongst which 19 had nephropathy and the remaining 109 did not have nephropathy. Results and Conclusions: The CCB's were the group of drugs prescribed the most in both diabetes and diabetes associated nephropathy. They were prescribed in 60% patients with diabetes, and 95% of those who had nephropathy. The ACE-inhibitors and ARB's were prescribed in 45% patients with diabetes and 21% in diabetes associated nephropathy. Utilization of ACE- inhibitors is thus well below it is expected to be in both diabetes as well as diabetes associated nephropathy.