PLoS One. 2015; 10(4): e0123508.
Published online 2015 Apr 29. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123508
PMCID: PMC4414607
Qinghua Sun, Academic Editor
Abstract
Background
Traditional
Chinese medicine (TCM) including Chinese herbal therapy has been widely
practiced in China. However, little is known about Chinese herbal
therapy use for hypertension management, which is one of the most
prevalent chronic conditions in China. Thus we described Chinese herbal
therapy and western drug users, beliefs, hypertension knowledge, and
Chinese herbal and western drug adherence and determinants of Chinese
herbal therapy use among patients with hypertension in rural areas of
Heilongjiang Province, China.
Methodology and Principal Findings
This
face-to-face cross sectional survey included 665 hypertensive
respondents aged 30 years or older in rural areas of Heilongjiang
Province, China. Of 665 respondents, 39.7% were male, 27.4% were aged 65
years or older. At the survey, 14.0% reported using Chinese herbal
therapy and 71.3% reported using western drug for hypertension
management. A majority of patients had low level of treatment adherence
(80.6% for the Chinese herbal therapy users and 81.2% for the western
drug users). When respondents felt that their blood pressure was under
control, 72.0% of the Chinese herbal therapy users and 69.2% of the
western drug users sometimes stopped taking their medicine. Hypertensive
patients with high education level or better quality of life are more
likely use Chinese herbal therapy.
Conclusions and Significance
Majority
of patients diagnosed with hypertension use western drugs to control
blood pressure. Chinese herbal therapy use was associated with education
level and quality of life.
