Blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors among treated hypertensives in Swedish primary health care

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate antihypertensive treatment and other cardiovascular risk factors in primary health care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of consecutive patients with treated hypertension in 1999. SETTING: 17 primary care centres in Sweden. SUBJECTS: 512 patients (mean age 67; SD 11 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Antihypertensive treatment, cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Patients with high diastolic BP (> or = 100 mmHg) and systolic BP (> 180 mmHg) values were few. The proportions with diastolic BP < 90, BP < 160/95 and < 140/90 mmHg were 64%, 54% and 15%. Mono-therapy was given in 51%, and > or = 3 drugs in 13%. Hypertensives with hyperlipidaemia were 42%, and only 26% of them were given lipid-lowering drugs, mainly statins, 21%. Smokers were 10%, 23% had diabetes, and many had overweight BMI = 25 kg/m2, 72%. CONCLUSION: Although two-thirds had diastolic BP < 90 mmHg, few had BP below the current treatment target < 140/90 mmHg. More than half of the hypertensives had at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor, and these hypertensives also had low proportions within several current treatment targets of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, implying a need for intensified multiple risk factor intervention.