Impact of Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertension on Quality of Life

In an experimental study, 150 general practitioners studied 468 apparently healthy subjects whose blood pressure (BP) level was unknown or had not been measured for 1 year. The study lasted for 10 weeks. If BP was greater than 95 mm Hg on the first two visits, subjects were randomized into two experimental groups for 8 weeks, with cross-over from betaxolol to placebo and vice versa after 4 weeks. Quality of life was measured at visits 1, 3 (2 weeks), 5 (6 weeks), and 7 (10 weeks) in five ways: well-being, physical state, sexual functioning, sleep, and cognitive acuity. BP level appeared to be effectively controlled by betaxolol as compared with placebo. The results show that no effects on quality of life could be detected by labeling subjects as hypertensives. Equally, almost no effects of active treatment could be established. Learning effects on the two cognitive acuity measurements used were attenuated by betaxolol, however. Apparently, in a carefully controlled study, the effects of increased medical attention and care outweight the potentially negative effects of labeling and treatment.