Chart 17.2. – Factors interfering with adherence to antihypertensive treatment.

SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS • Sex; • Age; • Low educational level; • Low income; • Racial/ethnic minorities; • Access to transportation, distance and living in rural areas; • Pandemics and disaster conditions.
FACTORS RELATED TO PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT • Lack of medications at health care centers; • Cost of purchasing medications; • Adverse effects; • Complex dosing regimens; • Improper therapy regimen; • Continuous and prolonged treatment.
FACTORS RELATED TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND STAFF • Inadequate doctor/patient relationship; • Absence of multidisciplinary team; • Lack of individualized treatment; • Failure to identify nonadherence; • Ineffective communication; • Overloaded health care staff; • Outdatedness.
PATIENT-RELATED FACTORS • Denial of diagnosis; • Poor perception of treatment benefits; • Inadequate knowledge about the disease and the treatment; • Forgetting to take the medication; • Low motivation and self-esteem; • Fear of addiction and of adverse effects of medications.
DISEASE-RELATED FACTORS • Absence of symptoms; • Long-term complications; • Presence of other associated comorbidities; • Alcohol and drug abuse; • Impact on quality of life.