Hypertension in Canadian primary care had a prevalence of 17.3%, with 68.6% of patients remaining untreated and only 15.8% achieving blood pressure control.
Observational
Does combination antihypertensive therapy improve the odds of achieving target blood pressure compared to monotherapy in primary care patients?
This study highlights significant gaps in hypertension management in Canadian primary care, with high rates of untreated patients, while demonstrating that combination therapy improves blood pressure control.
Since most cases of hypertension are managed in family practice, estimates of the prevalence, treatment, and control in the primary care population are needed to adequately address the burden of hypertension in Canada as it has in other countries. The authors used a large primary care research database to determine the prevalence of hypertension between 2000 and 2003. Blood pressure recordings were used to estimate the rates of prevalence, treatment, and control of hypertension for the overall population and for important subgroups. The prevalence of hypertension was 17.3%, most patients had untreated hypertension (68.6%), and only 15.8% had blood pressure treated and controlled. Higher rates of treatment and control were observed among older adults, those with type II diabetes, and those with a previous myocardial infarction. Odds of achieving target blood pressure were significantly better when combination therapy vs monotherapy was used. The prevalence of hypertension in primary care is high and most patients remain untreated; however, increased risk appears to lead to better treatment and control.
Petrella et al. (Mon,) conducted a observational in Hypertension. Combination therapy vs. Monotherapy was evaluated on Prevalence, treatment, and control of hypertension. Hypertension in Canadian primary care had a prevalence of 17.3%, with 68.6% of patients remaining untreated and only 15.8% achieving blood pressure control.