ADESÃO MEDICAMENTOSA DE PORTADORES DE HIPERTENSÃO ARTERIAL SISTEMICA EM UMA UNIDADE DE SAÚDE DA FAMÍLIA DE CASCAVEL- PR

The Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH) is a concerning public health problem in Brazil and worldwide. Adherence to drug treatment among patients with SAH is very low, and is even lower in developing countries. This study evaluated patients from a Family Health Center in the city of Cascavel / PR, Brazil, who were already diagnosed with SAH, evaluating adherence to treatment according to their demographic characteristics. For this, 200 patients were interviewed through sociodemographic and medication adherence questionnaires, the patients were divided into groups and their responses were compared using Pearson's chi-square test. Several questions showed no difference between groups divided by sex, however, it was found that there was a significant difference in forgetting to take the medication, with female patients claiming to forget it more frequently than male patients. As for the age group, it was found that younger patients have less adherence to the drug treatment, regardless of gender. In addition, it can be seen that free access to the medication and the professional-patient relationship are important adherence factors in the treatment of hypertension.