Author(s)

Chris Nadège Nganou-Gnindjio^1,2*, Héloïse Guidelle Kenmogne Domning³, Liliane Mfeukeu-Kuate^1,2, Bâ Hamadou^1,2, Félicité Kamdem^4,5, Georges Bediang¹, Aurel T. Tankeu¹, Alain Patrick Menanga^1,6, Samuel Kingue^1,6

¹Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon.
²Cardiology Unit, Yaounde Central Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon.
³Faculty of Health Sciences, Université des Montagnes, Bangangté, Cameroon.
⁴Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
⁵Internal Medicine Department, Douala General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon.
⁶Internal Medicine Department, Yaounde General Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon.

Background: Hypertension is the leading cardiovascular risk factor worldwide, with the greatest burden in low-income settings. Blood pressure (BP) control is usually low resulting in high rates of uncontrolled patients and complications. Low awareness resulting in poor therapeutic adherence represents an important factor for insufficient blood pressure control in developing countries. Methods: This was a three months non-randomized control trial at the cardiology clinic of the Yaoundé Central Hospital. We included adults with essential and uncontrolled hypertension. The intervention consisted of group educative sessions every week focusing on knowledge of hypertension risk factors, complications, treatment, comorbidities, home self-monitoring of BP. Home blood pressure figures, drug compliance, and knowledge regarding hypertension were evaluated before and after. Results: 17 participants (8 women) with a mean age 56.2 ± 8.1 years. During intervention, mean SBP decreased by 30 mmHg while mean DBP drooped by 11 mmHg using home BP measures. Knowledge regarding hypertension, adherence and drug compliance increased by 36.5%, 88.2% and 81.4% respectively. Conclusion: Therapeutic group education resulted in a significant improvement in BP control amongst uncontrolled hypertensive patients in sub Saharan Africa.

Therapeutic Group Education, Hypertension, Adherence, Knowledge

Nganou-Gnindjio, C. , Domning, H. , Mfeukeu-Kuate, L. , Hamadou, B. , Kamdem, F. , Bediang, G. , Tankeu, A. , Menanga, A. and Kingue, S. (2018) Effect of Therapeutic Group Education on Adherence and Blood Pressure Control among Uncontrolled Hypertensive Patients in Sub Saharan Africa. World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases, 8, 183-195. doi: 10.4236/wjcd.2018.83018.