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Blood pressure control in hypertensive patients in Irish primary care practices

Brendan Buckley1, Eamonn Shanahan, Niall Colwell

  • 1European Centre for Clinical Trials in Rare Diseases, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. b.buckley@ucc.ie

Journal of Clinical Hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.)
|August 22, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Blood pressure control in Ireland is poor, with many patients not meeting treatment goals. Improving patient awareness and physician adherence to guidelines is crucial for reducing cardiovascular risk.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in Ireland.
  • Blood pressure (BP) control remains a significant challenge, with unsatisfactory goal achievement rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document current blood pressure control levels in a large patient cohort in Ireland.
  • To raise awareness regarding the importance of achieving BP goals for cardiovascular risk reduction.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 1534 patients with a mean age of 64.7 years.
  • Data collected on hypertension duration, comorbidities (diabetes, coronary artery disease), and antihypertensive monotherapy.
  • Analysis of prescribed medications (beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, ARBs) and recorded BP measurements.

Main Results:

  • Mean BP was 136.0/89.5 mm Hg in nondiabetic patients and 131.0/81.7 mm Hg in diabetic patients.
  • Only 48.6% of nondiabetic patients and 16.7% of diabetic patients achieved target BP goals (<140/90 mm Hg and <130/80 mm Hg, respectively).
  • Lifestyle modifications were frequently recommended (63.5%).

Conclusions:

  • Suboptimal BP control necessitates enhanced strategies for cardiovascular risk reduction in Ireland.
  • Improving patient awareness, compliance, and physician adherence to guidelines is essential.
  • Proactive management of uncontrolled hypertension is key to mitigating cardiovascular events.

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