[Evaluation of compliance with appointments and the control of blood pressure in a group of hypertensive patients].

The social and public health relevance of hypertension (HT) is well know. In the present study, 308 hypertensive patients were evaluated in two six month periods. An organized variation was carried out, consisting of the suppression of the scheduled visit with subsequent attention of the patient by visit on demand. The evaluated variables were the degree of compliance with the appointment and the control of the blood pressure levels in the two periods, depending on sex, age, and degree of hypertension. Better results were achieved during the first period (with scheduled visit), both regarding compliance and control. Therefore, it seems preferable to keep scheduled visits for the HT protocols.