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Cardiovascular risk and blood pressure control in a Spanish hypertensive population attended in a Primary Care
Gustavo C Rodriguez-Roca1, Jose L Llisterri-Caro, Vivencio Barrios-Alonso
1Health Care Centre, La Puebla de Montalban, Toledo, Spain. grodriguezr@semergen.es
Insights
Hypertension management is crucial, as over half of patients in primary care face high cardiovascular risk. Poor blood pressure control is common in these individuals, with diabetes significantly increasing this risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Primary Health Care
- Hypertension Management
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of mortality globally.
- Effective management of hypertension is key to reducing cardiovascular events.
- Risk stratification is essential for tailoring treatment strategies in hypertensive patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the cardiovascular risk profile of a large hypertensive patient cohort.
- To assess blood pressure control rates across different cardiovascular risk categories.
- To identify factors associated with inadequate blood pressure control in high-risk hypertensive patients.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 10,520 adult hypertensive patients from primary care.
- Categorization of patients into cardiovascular risk strata (average, low, moderate, high, very high added risk).
- Statistical analysis to determine blood pressure control rates and associated factors, including odds ratios for poor control.
Main Results:
- Over half of the hypertensive cohort (51.9%) presented with high or very high added cardiovascular risk.
- Overall blood pressure control was achieved in only 41.4% of patients.
- Blood pressure control rates were significantly lower in higher risk categories (e.g., 6.8% in very high risk).
- Diabetes was strongly associated with poor blood pressure control in high/very high-risk groups (OR=7.2, p<0.0001).
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of hypertensive patients in primary care are at high cardiovascular risk.
- Inadequate blood pressure control is prevalent, particularly in high-risk individuals.
- Diabetes is a critical factor exacerbating poor blood pressure control in hypertensive patients with elevated cardiovascular risk.
Aims:
To analyse the cardiovascular risk of a broad sample of hypertensive patients and to examine whether there are differences in blood pressure control and associated factors according to the different cardiovascular risk categories.
Major Findings:
A total of 10,520 patients > or = 18 years old were included (mean age 64.6+/-11.3 years; 53.7% women). In this cohort, 3.3% were average risk, 22.6% low added risk, 22.2% moderate added risk, 33.5% high added risk and 18.4% very high added risk. Blood pressure was controlled in 41.4% (95% CI 40.5-42.4) of the total population, in 91.7% of patients with low added risk, in 19.4% with moderate added risk, in 27.4% with high added risk and in 6.8% with very high added risk. Diabetes was the factor most strongly associated with poor blood pressure control in patients with high to very high added risk (OR=7.2; p<0.0001).
Principal Conclusion:
More than half of the hypertensive patients treated in primary health care have a high or very high added cardiovascular risk. In these patients, blood pressure control is inadequate and diabetes is associated with a sevenfold increase in the likelihood of poor blood pressure control.
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