Background
: Noncompliance is a important problem in the management of hypertension, which causes major morbidity and mortality among Korean people. The purpose of this study is the assessment of drop-out rate of hypertensive patients in university-based family practice setting.

Methods : The medical records of hypertensive patients for 2 years(July 1, 1991 August 30, 1993) were reviewed. 207 patients visited during this period. Six cases of referral and 45 cases of non-pharmacologic treatment group were excluded. A total of 156 patients were under reivew about the date of the first visit, the date of the last visit, and frequency of visit during study period. We analysed several factors by adherent group, irregular visiting group, and drop-out group according to arbitrary criteria.

Results : Among 156 patients, 33 patients(21%) were compliant, 46 patients (29.5%) were visited irregularly and 77 patients(49.3%) were dropped-out. Patient's compliance in keeping appointment was not related with age, sex, presence of target organ damage and previous awareness of morbid state, except presence of comorbid disease. Patients with several degenerative diseases were keeping appointment better than patients without these comorbid diseased.(P<0.05) 39.5% of hypertensive patients were lost to follow-up after 1 year, and 45.3% remained in antihypertensive therapy after 3 years.

Conclusion : There is a increase in drop-out rate with duration of antihypertensive therapy. 45.3% of hypertensive patients remained in antihypertensive therapy after 3 years of treatment and 12% of patients were dropped out immediately after the first visit. Presence of comorbid diseases was associated with patient's compliance. Strategies improving compliance and decreasing early drop-out rate are needed.