Table I.

 Categories of Factors Contributing to Lack of Adherence and/or Persistence With Antihypertensive Medication

Category	Factors Related to Hypertension
Patient‐related	Lack of understanding of importance of achieving BP control, lack of understanding regarding how to take medications, perceived lack of drug efficacy, quality of life
Physician‐related	Failure to modify therapy to meet BP goals, failure to involve patient in decision‐making, insufficient patient education
Condition‐related	Asymptomatic, life‐long
Therapy‐related	Adverse effects, complexity of regimen, cost
Health system–related	Access to health care, lack of follow‐up, convenience of appointment scheduling
Socioeconomic	Differential treatment of socioeconomic and ethnic groups, lack of insurance, lack of transportation, lack of social support system

Abbreviation: BP, blood pressure. Adapted from the World Health Organization 2003. ¹⁵