[Prognostic value of serum creatinine in treated hypertensives. A case-controlled study]

The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic value of serum creatinine (SC), in treated hypertensive subjects (HT). In a clinical population of 2738 HT consecutively examined between october 1969 and december 1982, as in-patients (n = 1599) or out-patients (n = 1139): 152 had a moderate elevation (ME) of SC: below 178 USI but above the "normal limit" (124 USI in men, 106 USI in women); 95 had a severe elevation (SE) of SC: above 17 USI. Whenever possible, each of these cases was matched to a control, belonging to the same population: same sex, same age (+/- 5 years), same group (in-patient or out-patient), same date of initial examination (+/- 6 months), but normal SC. 119 ME and 63 SE could be matched. The response rate of the mortality survey (november 1985) was 100 per cent. The mean follow-up period was 10 years (range 3 to 16 years).

At initial examination, ME and SE cases differed significantly from their controls in several variables (mainly: more frequent T or J-ST ECG abnormalities and stage III-IV retinal changes); The life-table survival rate was moderately and non significantly reduced in ME cases (57 per cent at 10 years vs 66 per cent in controls); this decrease was only observed and significant (p less than 0.001) in subjects aged 60 to 79 years. In SE cases, survival rate was markedly reduced (43 per cent at 10 years vs 73 per cent in controls, p less than 0.001) and this reduction is observed at least since the age 40.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)