Table 1.
Characteristics of antihypertensive initiators [n (%)] by choice of first‐line therapy
| ACE inhibitors (n = 21 862) | ARBs (n = 16 710) | Thiazide diuretics (n = 5548) | Beta‐blockers (n = 9479) | Calcium channel blockers (n = 8085) | Total (n = 55 937) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | ||||||
| 18–49 years | 3553 (16.3) | 3001 (18.0) | 1322 (23.8) | 2143 (22.6) | 1708 (21.1) | 10 531 (18.8) |
| 50–59 years | 2969 (13.6) | 2550 (15.3) | 785 (14.2) | 1049 (11.1) | 1018 (12.6) | 7470 (13.4) |
| 60–69 years | 5857 (26.8) | 4968 (29.7) | 1379 (24.9) | 2156 (22.8) | 2037 (25.2) | 14 869 (26.6) |
| 70–79 years | 6316 (28.9) | 4523 (27.1) | 1409 (25.4) | 2585 (27.3) | 2226 (27.5) | 15 635 (28.0) |
| 80+ years | 3167 (14.5) | 1668 (10.0) | 653 (11.8) | 1546 (16.3) | 1096 (13.6) | 7432 (13.3) |
| Sex | ||||||
| Male | 10 414 (47.6) | 7192 (43.0) | 1908 (34.4) | 4142 (43.7) | 3406 (42.1) | 24 276 (43.4) |
| Female | 11 448 (52.4) | 9518 (57.0) | 3640 (65.6) | 5337 (56.3) | 4679 (57.9) | 31 661 (56.6) |
| Number of medicines dispensed in year prior | ||||||
| Quartile 1 (1–2) | 5669 (25.9) | 4736 (28.3) | 1361 (24.5) | 2212 (23.3) | 2033 (25.2) | 14 324 (25.6) |
| Quartile 2 (3–4) | 5082 (23.3) | 3954 (23.7) | 1165 (21.0) | 2115 (22.3) | 1751 (21.7) | 12 749 (22.8) |
| Quartile 3 (5–7) | 5370 (24.6) | 3984 (23.8) | 1375 (24.8) | 2363 (24.9) | 1878 (23.2) | 13 664 (24.4) |
| Quartile 4 (≥8) | 5741 (26.3) | 4036 (24.2) | 1647 (29.7) | 2789 (29.4) | 2423 (30.0) | 15 200 (27.2) |
| Medicines dispensed for treatment of | ||||||
| Angina | 814 (3.7)* | 230 (1.4) | 66 (1.2) | 685 (7.2)* | 332 (4.1)* | 1941 (3.5) |
| Depression | 4935 (22.6) | 3656 (21.9) | 1375 (24.8) | 2400 (25.3) | 1951 (24.1) | 13 091 (23.4) |
| Diabetes | 3059 (14.0)* | 1500 (9.0) | 338 (6.1) | 564 (6.0) | 559 (6.9) | 5514 (9.9) |
| Gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease | 6515 (29.8) | 4746 (28.4) | 1671 (30.1) | 3040 (32.1) | 2546 (31.5) | 16 891 (30.2) |
| Gout | 803 (3.7) | 620 (3.7) | 145 (2.6) | 307 (3.2) | 242 (3.0) | 1928 (3.5) |
| Heart failure | 1626 (7.4)* | 662 (4.0) | 379 (6.8) | 741 (7.8)* | 451 (5.6) | 3537 (6.3) |
| Hyperlipidaemia | 6720 (30.7) | 4493 (26.9) | 1304 (23.5) | 2674 (28.2) | 2092 (25.9) | 15 788 (28.2) |
| Obstructive airway disease | 4225 (19.3) | 3202 (19.2) | 1237 (22.3) | 1575 (16.6) | 1897 (23.5) | 11 011 (19.7) |
| Initiated as part of fixed‐dose combination | ||||||
| Antihypertensives combination | 1136 (5.2) | 2077 (12.4) | 2405 (43.3) | 0 (0.0) | 867 (10.7) | 3205 (5.7) |
| Other combination† | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1307 (23.6) | 0 (0.0) | 681 (8.4) | 1988 (3.5) |
| Initiated in free combination with another antihypertensive | ||||||
| 1523 (7.0) | 483 (3.0) | 126 (2.3) | 1403 (14.8) | 963 (11.9) | 2434 (4.3) | |
Individuals can appear in more than one column if initiated on multiple antihypertensives.
*
Possibly dispensed for indication other than hypertension.
†
Other combinations include hydrochlorothiazide and a potassium‐sparing diuretic, and amlodipine and atorvastatin.