Factors associated with the use of potentially inappropriate medications by elderly people with hypertension

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze factors associated with the use of potentially inappropriate medications by elderly people with hypertension. Method: a cross-sectional study, conducted in the first semester of 2016, with elderly people undergoing treatment for hypertension, living in the city of Maringá. Interviews, medical records analysis, and measurement of clinical and anthropometric parameters of the participants were carried out. Inferential analysis was used. Results: a total of 260 elderly people who used potentially inappropriate medications participated in the study. The high use of these medications was associated with clinical and anthropometric conditions, such as obesity (p=0.022), smoking (p=0.004), polypharmacy (p=0.034) and the health services provided, such as organizationally accessible treatment (p=0.027) and consultation time (p=0.007), predisposing to low adherence to routine consultations (p=0.003). Conclusion: it was shown that the factors associated with the use of potentially inappropriate medications were associated with anthropometric, clinical, and organizational variables, intrinsic to the family health strategy.