Article
Pharmaceutical Care Could Potentially Reduce Cardiovascular Risk
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Patients under pharmaceutical care showed decreased blood pressure and cholesterol.
A recent study suggests that pharmaceutical care (PC) could potentially provide long-term control of blood pressure and total cholesterol.
Pharmaceutical care includes consultations, interventions, monitoring records, and following a therapeutic plan. Approximately 50% of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were found to be associated with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) in 2012, according to a study published by PLOS One.
It is known that poor blood pressure control can increase the risk of developing CVD. The researchers in the study included patients with SAH in the PC program who were already taking hypertensive medications.
The patients were required to have a consultation with the pharmacist once per month. The initial visit was to gather information about patient medical history, demographic data, socioeconomic profile, lifestyle, eating habits, and cardiovascular risk.
The rest of the consultations included activities such as measuring blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, analysis of medicines and test results, health education with guidance, adherence to treatment, and interventions in pharmacotherapy as needed, according to the study.
Researchers discovered that 56 patients had satisfactory systolic blood pressure(SBP), and 53 had satisfactory diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between PC and post-PC. A reduction of 18 mmHg and 12 mmHg was found in SBP and DBP, respectively. They also found that the reduction in blood pressure was maintained after the end of the study, along with a drop in total cholesterol levels.
The researchers noted a reduction from 10.6% to 7.7% in coronary risk for patients in PC. Due to the extensive care, the researchers found an overall reduction in blood pressure and TC.
PC also contributed to long-term control of blood pressure and TC, as well as adherence to medications. Researchers concluded that because of lower blood pressure and higher control of TC, there was a decrease in cardiovascular risk and improved quality of life.
