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Treatment patterns of hypertension and dyslipidaemia in hypertensive patients at higher and lower risk of cardiovascular disease in primary care in the United Kingdom

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 21, pages 925–933 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Few studies have investigated the presence of dyslipidaemia in hypertensive individuals. In addition, few data exist on the concurrent treatment of both conditions for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This retrospective cohort study examined treatment patterns for hypertension and dyslipidaemia among hypertensive patients in UK primary care. We defined a population of patients aged ⩾40 years from the UK General Practice Research Database. Hypertensive individuals with ⩾3 additional cardiovascular risk factors (ARFs) were compared with a cohort comprising hypertensive patients with ⩽2 ARFs. We analysed the prevalence of risk factors and the prevalence and incidence of treatment for hypertension, dyslipidaemia and for both conditions between January 1997 and December 2001. A total of 117 840 hypertensive patients were identified (23 655 with ⩾3 ARFs, 94 185 with ⩽2 ARFs) in 1997; in 2001, the number diagnosed as hypertensive was 133 683 (40 248 ⩾3 ARFs, 93 435 ⩽2 ARFs). The prevalence of antihypertensive treatment in the hypertensive patients with ⩾3 ARFs increased during the study. In 2001, approximately one-third of hypertensive patients with ⩾3 ARFs were not receiving antihypertensives. Among those patients who received such treatment, the majority received ⩾2 separate agents in accordance with current guidelines. Treatment for concurrent hypertension and dyslipidaemia was initiated in <8% of patients with hypertension and ⩾3 ARFs in each year. These findings demonstrate the under-recognition/undertreatment of cardiovascular risk factors in UK primary care among patients at risk of CVD.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a research grant from Pfizer Inc. Editorial assistance was provided by Jon Edwards and Fiona Nitsche of Envision Pharma and funded by Pfizer Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Medicine and Therapeutics, Medicines Monitoring Unit, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK

    T M MacDonald & S V Morant

  2. Cygnus Biostatistics Ltd, Haddenham, UK

    S V Morant

  3. Worldwide Outcomes Research, Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA

    E Mozaffari

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  1. T M MacDonald
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Correspondence to T M MacDonald.

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MacDonald, T., Morant, S. & Mozaffari, E. Treatment patterns of hypertension and dyslipidaemia in hypertensive patients at higher and lower risk of cardiovascular disease in primary care in the United Kingdom. J Hum Hypertens 21, 925–933 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002249

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