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Most individuals with treated blood pressures above target receive only one or two antihypertensive drug classes

D J Campbell1, M McGrady, D L Prior

  • 1St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. dcampbell@svi.edu.au

Internal Medicine Journal
|August 23, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Many adults on blood pressure medication don't reach target levels. Most receive only one or two drug classes, suggesting more medication and lifestyle changes could improve control in those at high cardiovascular risk.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hypertension Management
  • Public Health

Background:

  • A significant number of patients on antihypertensive therapy do not achieve target blood pressure (<140/90 mmHg).
  • Understanding factors influencing blood pressure control is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies.
  • This study focuses on adults at increased cardiovascular risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between blood pressure control and antihypertensive therapies.
  • To identify clinical and lifestyle factors associated with uncontrolled blood pressure.
  • To inform strategies for improving hypertension management in at-risk populations.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study of 3994 adults from the SCReening Evaluation of the Evolution of New Heart Failure (SCREEN-HF) study in Australia.
  • Inclusion criteria included age ≥60 years with cardiovascular risk factors or treated hypertension/diabetes.
  • Blood pressure control was assessed, and associations with therapies and factors were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Of 3623 participants on antihypertensive therapy, 52% had blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg.
  • The majority (79%) of those with uncontrolled blood pressure were on one or two antihypertensive drug classes.
  • Uncontrolled blood pressure was associated with older age, male sex, larger waist circumference, and higher NT-proBNP levels.

Conclusions:

  • Most individuals with treated hypertension above target are on limited antihypertensive drug classes.
  • Increasing the number of antihypertensive drug classes and incorporating lifestyle modifications may enhance blood pressure control.
  • These interventions could benefit individuals with increased cardiovascular risk.
Abstract

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