Medication use in an elderly hypertensive sample: A comparison of Caucasians and African-Americans in the EPESE

Introduction. Though some research has begun to examine specific factors related to race that should be targeted in the design of interventions to improve medication adherence, there remains an underreporting of factors that contribute to the use of hypertensive medications by race.

Methods. This study examined medication use reported by a sample of elderly, controlled and uncontrolled hypertensive Caucasian and African-American patients from the North Carolina Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (NC EPESE) study.

Results. An initial multivariable model of the variables included in the demographics domain yielded a significant association between race and current medication use. This finding suggests the importance of examining factors that contribute to medication use within the specific context of race. Therefore, two, separate multivariable models were tested for Caucasians and African-Americans. In the adjusted final multivariable models of medication use over time, in both Caucasian and African-American women, those with higher BMI were more likely to report taking their medication over time; satisfaction with their medical care was predictive among Caucasian women and receiving treatment from a minority physician was predictive among African-American women.

Conclusion. Focusing on individual-level characteristics and the different issues that may underlie specific ethnic groups, particularly health care provider characteristics, may help to develop more precisely targeted interventions to improve a full range of healthcare services that are often needed by elderly hypertensive patients.