From: Perceptions of hypertension treatment among patients with and without diabetes
Issue | Hypertensive patients with diabetes | Hypertensive patients without diabetes |
---|---|---|
Hypertension as a disease | Accept that hypertension is a chronic disease | See hypertension as a temporary physiological reaction to stress |
Importance of hypertension | Hypertension has the potential to cause major damage but minor in comparison with diabetes | Hypertension has the potential to cause major damage |
Impact of disease | As opposed to diabetes, which cause cumulative damage hypertension does no immediate damage and is a long term risk factor for an outcome that may or may not happen | Hypertension does no immediate damage and is a long term risk factor for an outcome that may or may not happen |
Coping mechanisms | Treatment is easy compared to care of diabetes and becomes part of their routine | Treatment can be overwhelming and there are several different coping mechanisms |
Impact of medication on sexual function | Effect is acknowledged but thought to be minor compared with diabetes | None of the male participants acknowledged any impact |