Abstract Body: BACKGROUND: About 50% of patients are nonadherent to antihypertensive medications (AHM), impairing blood pressure (BP) management. The RADIANCE-HTN TRIO trial screened patients with resistant hypertension by first placing them on a fixed-dose combination triple pill (ARB+amlodipine+HCTZ). Ambulatory BP measurement 4 weeks later found 43% had controlled BP and were thus ineligible for enrollment. A total of 136 patients with uncontrolled BP were randomized to ultrasound renal denervation (uRDN) or sham-control. This analysis assessed adherence characteristics among patients in the trial.
METHOD: TRIO patients consented to have chemical adherence testing that detected AHM or their metabolites in spot urine samples at baseline, 2 and 6 months. Full adherence (FA) was defined by all prescribed drugs detected in the sample.
RESULTS: Adherence data were available at any timepoint for 129 and all timepoints for 91 patients. Among patients with data at all timepoints, 66% (60/91) were FA and 34% (31/91) were partially- or fully nonadherent (PA/NA) to any of their prescribed medications. Adherence rates did not differ between treatment groups or geographies. Women were less likely to be FA (p<0.001) (Table). PA/NA patients had higher rates of peripheral and cerebrovascular disease, and higher BP before and after triple pill. Adherence to triple pill was 81% at baseline, 85% at 2-months, and 83% at 6-months. Medications were titrated after 2-months. At 6-months, adherence to additional medication classes prescribed was: aldosterone antagonist 71%, beta blockers 62%, and centrally-acting alpha-2 agonists 60%.
CONCLUSIONS: The stringent TRIO study design uncovered significant medication nonadherence that translated into a high rate of apparent resistant HTN. It also showed high adherence to a fixed-dose triple pill. One third of enrolled patients were not fully adherent to medications, and these patients had higher BP and higher rates of vascular disease. Understanding clinical features associated with medication adherence may improve hypertension management.