Evaluation on Conventional Antihypertension Use and Natural-Conventional Combination on Patient with Hypertension.

The proportion of hypertensive disease in Depok city was 57.4% in 2002. Primary health centers had given antihypertensive medication. In addition to the drugs commonly given by a doctor (conventional), many patients took medicinal plants (natural medicine). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of combination therapy of convensional-herbal on blood pressure in hypertensive patients in five primary health centers in Depok. This retrospective cohort study used samples of hypertension patients who came to primary health centers. Patients who were willing to join the study were 123 patients and grouped in to conventional therapy group (74 people) and combination of conventional-herbal therapy group (49 people). The majority of hypertensive patients who came to the health centers area of Depok were women, aged 50-59 years old, married, came from ethnic Betawi, less educated, unemployed/ housewives, low income and suffering from hypertension stage II. Combination therapy of convensional-herbal had better effect on diastolic and convensional therapy had better effect on systolic. However, no significant difference between them (p 0.05). The continuity of treatment affected systolic blood pressure (p 0.05). This study showed that had not seen clearly influence of herbal that is used combination with conventional drugs in lowering blood pressure.