Table 3.

Clinical characteristics of hypertensive patients, Kinshasa, 2013 (n = 395)

Variables	n	(%)
Duration of hypertension, year
<5	220	55.7
≥5	149	36.7
Unknown	26	6.6
Duration of antihypertensive treatment, year
<5	239	60.5
≥5	126	31.9
Unknown	30	7.6
Control of blood pressure, n = 390
Uncontrolled	329	84.4
Controlled	61	15.6
Number of pills, n = 395
Mean (SD)	1.7 (1.2)
Experience of medication side effects	217	54.9
Experience of physical symptoms due to hypertension	255	64.6
Physical symptoms felt, n = 255
Dizziness	157	61.6
Tiredness	84	32.9
Blurred vision	79	30.9
Headache	60	23.5
Palpitations	17	6.6
Additional symptoms	20	7.8
Presence of co-morbidity	213	53.9
Types of co-morbidity
Diabetes	207	52.4
Heart diseases	6	1.5
Taking of non-prescribed medications	81	20.5
Adherence measurement
Have you ever forgotten to take your BP medicine?	126	31.9
Are you sometimes careless in regard to your medicine?	84	23.8
Do you skip your medicine when you are feeling well?	124	31.4
When you feel bad due to the medicine, do you skip it?	87	22.0
Medication non-adherence	214	54.2