Recommendations for Evaluating Compliance and Persistence With Hypertension Therapy Using Retrospective Data

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Abstract
Ypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. The World Health Or- ganization Global Burden of Disease Study estimates that nonoptimal blood pressure ((BP) ie, systolic BP of 115 mm Hg) is responsible annually for 7.1 million deaths and the loss of 64.3 disability-adjusted life years worldwide.1 The associated economic burden of hypertension is also substantial. The average annual medical care cost for indi- viduals with hypertension has been estimated at $3900 (in year 2000 US dollars) in Canada,2 with similar values ($3787) for the United States.3 The increase in medical care costs is greater for those with moderate-to-severe BP eleva- tion (diastolic BP 104 mm Hg) than for those with mild disease.4