Project description:Accurate assessment of blood pressure (BP) is the cornerstone of hypertension management. The objectives of this study were to quantify the effect of medical personnel presence during BP measurement by automated oscillometric BP (AOBP) and to compare resting office BP by AOBP to daytime average BP by 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). This study is a prospective randomized cross-over trial, conducted in a referral population. Patients underwent measurements of casual and resting office BP by AOBP. Resting BP was measured as either unattended (patient alone in the room during resting and measurements) or as partially attended (nurse present in the room during measurements) immediately prior to and after 24-h ABPM. The primary outcome was the effect of unattended 5-min rest preceding AOBP assessment as the difference between casual and resting BP measured by the Omron HEM 907XL. Ninety patients consented and 78 completed the study. The mean difference between the casual and Omron unattended systolic BP was 7.0 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.5, 9.5). There was no significant difference between partially attended and unattended resting office systolic BP. Resting office BP (attended and partially attended) underestimated daytime systolic BP load from 24-h ABPM. The presence or absence of medical personnel does not impact casual office BP which is higher than resting office AOBP. The requirement for unattended rest may be dropped if logistically challenging. Casual and resting office BP readings by AOBP do not capture the complexity of information provided by the 24-h ABPM.
Project description:High blood pressure (BP) is highly prevalent among the elderly, and even with pharmacological therapy BP is difficult to control to guideline recommended levels. Although poor compliance to therapy is associated with less BP control, little is known regarding other barriers to attaining on-treatment target BP. This study examined factors associated with achieving on-treatment target BP in 6010 hypertensive participants aged 65-84 years from the Second Australian National Blood Pressure study. Participants were followed for a median of 4.1 years, with BP monitored every 6 months. 'Target BP' was defined as a reduction of systolic/diastolic BP of at least 20/10 mm Hg and BP <160/90 mm Hg from randomization in two consecutive follow-up visits. Cox regression was used to identify factors associated with achieving target BP from a number of baseline and in-study factors. Mean BP at randomization was 168/91 mm Hg and patients had a median of 9 (range: 2-20) study visits. Target BP was achieved in 50% of patients. Demographic factors associated with achieving target BP were male gender, living in a regional area; and clinical factors included history of antihypertensive therapy, increased plasma creatinine, lower pretreatment pulse pressure and in-study use of multiple BP-lowering drugs. Those aged >80 years and seeking care from multiple doctors (hazard ratio 0.40, 95% confidence interval 0.36-0.45, P<0.001) were less likely to achieve target BP. These findings identify clinical markers that can be targeted for intervention, but also demographic factors related to service delivery, which may provide further opportunity for achieving better BP control in hypertensive elderly.
Project description:As the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) present major challenges for health systems. In this study, we analyzed the effects of better population blood pressure control in the context of a proposed 80-80-80 target: 80% of individuals with hypertension are screened and aware of their diagnosis; 80% of those who are aware are prescribed treatment; and 80% of those on treatment have achieved guideline-specified blood pressure targets. We developed a population CVD model using country-level evidence on CVD rates, blood pressure levels and hypertension intervention coverage. Under realistic implementation conditions, most countries could achieve 80-80-80 targets by 2040, reducing all-cause mortality by 4-7% (76-130 million deaths averted over 2022-2050) and slowing the rise in CVD expected from population growth and aging (110-200 million cases averted). Although populous middle-income countries would account for most of the reduced CVD cases and deaths, low-income countries would experience the largest reductions in disease rates.
Project description:BackgroundTwenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure thresholds have been defined for the diagnosis of mild hypertension but not for its treatment or for other blood pressure thresholds used in the diagnosis of moderate to severe hypertension. We aimed to derive age and sex related ambulatory blood pressure equivalents to clinic blood pressure thresholds for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.MethodsWe collated 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure data, recorded with validated devices, from 11 centres across six Australian states (n=8575). We used least product regression to assess the relation between these measurements and clinic blood pressure measured by trained staff and in a smaller cohort by doctors (n=1693).ResultsMean age of participants was 56 years (SD 15) with mean body mass index 28.9 (5.5) and mean clinic systolic/diastolic blood pressure 142/82 mm Hg (19/12); 4626 (54%) were women. Average clinic measurements by trained staff were 6/3 mm Hg higher than daytime ambulatory blood pressure and 10/5 mm Hg higher than 24 hour blood pressure, but 9/7 mm Hg lower than clinic values measured by doctors. Daytime ambulatory equivalents derived from trained staff clinic measurements were 4/3 mm Hg less than the 140/90 mm Hg clinic threshold (lower limit of grade 1 hypertension), 2/2 mm Hg less than the 130/80 mm Hg threshold (target upper limit for patients with associated conditions), and 1/1 mm Hg less than the 125/75 mm Hg threshold. Equivalents were 1/2 mm Hg lower for women and 3/1 mm Hg lower in older people compared with the combined group.ConclusionsOur study provides daytime ambulatory blood pressure thresholds that are slightly lower than equivalent clinic values. Clinic blood pressure measurements taken by doctors were considerably higher than those taken by trained staff and therefore gave inappropriate estimates of ambulatory thresholds. These results provide a framework for the diagnosis and management of hypertension using ambulatory blood pressure values.
Project description:BackgroundLowering of blood pressure prevents stroke but optimum target levels to prevent recurrent stroke are unknown. We investigated the effects of different blood-pressure targets on the rate of recurrent stroke in patients with recent lacunar stroke.MethodsIn this randomised open-label trial, eligible patients lived in North America, Latin America, and Spain and had recent, MRI-defined symptomatic lacunar infarctions. Patients were recruited between March, 2003, and April, 2011, and randomly assigned, according to a two-by-two multifactorial design, to a systolic-blood-pressure target of 130-149 mm Hg or less than 130 mm Hg. The primary endpoint was reduction in all stroke (including ischaemic strokes and intracranial haemorrhages). Analysis was done by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT 00059306.Findings3020 enrolled patients, 1519 in the higher-target group and 1501 in the lower-target group, were followed up for a mean of 3·7 (SD 2·0) years. Mean age was 63 (SD 11) years. After 1 year, mean systolic blood pressure was 138 mm Hg (95% CI 137-139) in the higher-target group and 127 mm Hg (95% CI 126-128) in the lower-target group. Non-significant rate reductions were seen for all stroke (hazard ratio 0·81, 95% CI 0·64-1·03, p=0·08), disabling or fatal stroke (0·81, 0·53-1·23, p=0·32), and the composite outcome of myocardial infarction or vascular death (0·84, 0·68-1·04, p=0·32) with the lower target. The rate of intracerebral haemorrhage was reduced significantly (0·37, 0·15-0·95, p=0·03). Treatment-related serious adverse events were infrequent.InterpretationAlthough the reduction in stroke was not significant, our results support that in patients with recent lacunar stroke, the use of a systolic-blood-pressure target of less than 130 mm Hg is likely to be beneficial.FundingNational Institutes of Health-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH-NINDS).