Measurement Tools and Utility of Hair Analysis for Screening Adherence to Antihypertensive Medication

Poor adherence to the prescribed antihypertensive therapy is an understated public health problem and is one of the main causes of the high prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa. Medication adherence is vital for the effectiveness of antihypertensive treatment and is key to ameliorating the clinical outcomes in hypertensive patients. However, it has often been ignored because the current methods used to assess medication adherence are not reliable, limiting their utilization in clinical practice. Therefore, the identification of the most accurate and clinically feasible method for measuring medication adherence is critical for tailoring effective strategies to improve medication adherence and consequently achieve blood pressure goals. This review not only explores various available methods for estimating medication adherence but also proposes therapeutic drug monitoring in hair for the measurement of medication adherence to the antihypertensive medication period.

Automated summary

Poor adherence to prescribed antihypertensive therapy is a significant problem in sub-Saharan Africa, leading to high prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension. Reliable methods for assessing medication adherence are limited, hindering effective strategies for improvement. This review explores various methods and proposes hair-based therapeutic drug monitoring as a promising approach.