Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the effect of changing antihypertensive drug administration time during the period January 1, 2008 to October 31, 2008 among patients who received treatment at Nongjik Hospital, Pattani Province. The 140 patients studied received antihypertensive drugs once daily. Determination of the blood pressure before and during the Ramadan period were carried out among 70 patients without changing drug administration time, compared with those 70 patients with changing the time concerned. Data were collected from OPD cards, glucose level records of the patients, and monitoring change records during the Ramadan period. The SPSS for Windows software package was used to analyze the data.
The distributions by sex, age, and items of antihypertensive drug use were comparable between both groups. Both groups had significantly lower mean weight and systolic blood pressure during the Ramadan period, compared with figures before Ramadan. There were no statistically significant differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressures between both groups.
It is suggested that before the Ramadan period, good health education about food intake, exercise, administration schedules, and hypotension should be given to Muslim patients with hypertension.
