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Inter-regional comparisons of the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with hypertension in Europe: the GOOD survey

Abstract

The GOOD survey investigated the global cardiometabolic risk profile in adult patients with hypertension across 289 sites in four European regions (Northwest, Mediterranean, Atlantic European Mainland and Central Europe). Demographic, lifestyle, clinical and laboratory data were collected from eligible patients (n=3370) during a single clinic visit. In Central Europe, represented by Hungary, 44% of the participants had type II diabetes compared with 33% in the Atlantic European Mainland, and 26% in the Northwest and the Mediterranean regions. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was also significantly higher in Central Europe (68%) and the Atlantic European Mainland (60%) than in the Northwest and the Mediterranean regions (50 and 52%, respectively). Fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were all highest in Central Europe compared with the other three regions (P<0.001). In the Atlantic European Mainland, more patients had uncontrolled blood pressure (80%) compared with the other three regions (70–71%). Declared alcohol consumption was highest in the Atlantic European Mainland and exercise lowest in Central Europe. The prevalence of congestive heart failure, left ventricular hypertrophy, coronary artery disease and stable/unstable angina was higher in Central Europe compared with the other regions, whereas a family history of premature stroke or myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization and transient ischaemic attacks was all highest in the Atlantic European Mainland. These data indicate that many hypertensive patients across Europe have multiple cardiometabolic risk factors with the prevalence higher in Central Europe and the Atlantic European Mainland compared with Northwest and Mediterranean regions.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the contribution of the members of the Global CardiOMetabOlic Risk Profile in Patients with Hypertension Disease (GOOD) Scientific Council and the Study Investigators to this study. The study was designed interactively between an advisory board (later the authors of this paper) and sanofi-aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The sponsor managed the data and did all the analysis but we had the right to request analysis and publish. P Milner, PhD, of PAREXEL, Uxbridge, UK is acknowledged for making the first draft of this paper, which has been further developed by us. The sponsor was given the opportunity to review and comment on the paper before submission.

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Correspondence to C Farsang.

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Csaba Farsang is a member of several scientific advisory boards (Pfizer, sanofi-aventis, Novartis, MSD, Richter GRt). Lisa Naditch-Brule is an employee of sanofi-aventis.

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Farsang, C., Naditch-Brule, L., Perlini, S. et al. Inter-regional comparisons of the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with hypertension in Europe: the GOOD survey. J Hum Hypertens 23, 316–324 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2008.136

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