Predictors of switching from beta-blockers to other anti-hypertensive drugs: a review of records of 19,177 Chinese patients seen in public primary care clinics in the New Territory East, Hong Kong

Table 3 Characteristics of beta-blockers switchers and non-switchers (N = 19,177)

	Switchers (n = 763)		non-switchers (n = 18,414)		p
	No.	%	No.	%
Age (years)
< 50	158	20.7	5,169	28.1	< 0.001
50-59	229	30.0	5,656	30.7
60-69	171	22.4	3,692	20.0
≥ 70	205	26.9	3,897	21.2
Gender
Male	275	36.0	6,858	37.2	< 0.001
Female	488	64.0	11,556	62.8
Payment status
Fee waivers	199	26.1	4,889	26.6	< 0.001
Fee payers	564	73.9	13,525	73.4
Service type
GOPC	701	91.9	16,593	90.1	< 0.001
FMSC	59	7.7	1,645	8.9
Staff clinic	3	0.4	176	1.0
District of residence
Shatin	357	46.8	8,548	46.4	< 0.001
Taipo	177	23.2	4,507	24.5
North	186	24.4	4,060	22.0
Others	43	5.6	1,299	7.1
Visit type
New	570	74.7	11,247	61.1	< 0.001
Old	193	25.3	7,167	38.9
Comorbidities
0	630	82.6	15,322	83.2	< 0.001
1	114	14.9	2,660	14.4
≥ 2	19	2.5	432	2.3
Calendar years of prescription
2004	279	36.6	9,547	51.8	< 0.001
2005	227	29.8	4,133	22.4
2006	189	24.8	3,213	17.4
2007	68	8.9	1,521	8.3

GOPC: General Out-patient Clinic; FMSC: Family Medicine Specialist Clinic. All the percentages were across columns.

ISSN: 1447-056X