Twelve Month Follow-Up Audit of Nigerian Hypertensives on Back Titration

The question of whether pharmacotherapy for systemic arterial hypertension should be life-long has continued to agitate the mind of care givers and patients alike. Whereas it is possible in some cases to reduce dose or discontinue drug(s) outright, relapse of high blood pressure is known to occur after some time. All the same, the attitude of step down or outright discontinuation of anti-hypertensive pharmacotherapy appears to be safe provided close monitoringcontinued. 

In an audit of hypertension care in a specialized care facility, the author observed that some patients remained controlled despite self-imposed drug holidays or physician initiated dose reduction following therapy induced hypotensive features. Some earlier workers had called for future studies to shed light on how long and intensively hypertensives could be treated before discontinuation of therapy can be embarked upon. Read more...................