OBJECTIVE: To compare the persistence and compliance in a usual-care setting with 3 drugs (amlodipine, lisinopril, or valsartan) from 3 different pharmaceutical classes.calcium-channel blocker, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and angiotensin receptor blocker, respectively, commonly used to treat hypertension. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included a cohort of 142,945 continuously benefit-eligible patients from a pharmacy benefit manager drug claims database who began therapy with lisinopril, valsartan, or amlodipine. Concurrent use of other cardiovascular medications was assessed as a proxy for cardiovascular disease severity. Chronic Disease Score (CDS), derived from pharmacy claims data, was used to classify patient chronic disease burden as mild, moderate, or severe. Drug utilization measures included compliance, persistence, medication possession ratio (MPR), duration of therapy, and drug discontinuation. Multiple linear regression techniques were used to assess the impact o...