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Cross-sectional survey of hypertension management in clinical practice in Japan: the Kanagawa Hypertension Study 2021 conducted in collaboration with Japan Medical Association Database of Clinical Medicine

Abstract

We aim to assess the data of patients with hypertension in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, collected in 2021 that were provided by the Japan Medical Association Database of Clinical Medicine. Data collected in 2011 and 2014 by the Kanagawa Physicians Association were used for comparative analysis. The target blood pressure (BP) achievement rates for patients whose target office and home BP were <140/90 mmHg and <135/85 mmHg, respectively, were 72.5% and 75.8% in 2011, 66.0% and 68.5% in 2014, and 46.7% and 83.3% in 2021, respectively. The target office BP achievement rate in 2021 was significantly lower than those in 2011 and 2014 (p ≤ 0.009). In contrast, there was no significant difference and improvement of the achievement rates for patients whose target office and home BP were <130/80 mmHg and <125/75 mmHg, respectively, among the three surveys. After the Japanese Society of Hypertension 2019 Guidelines were released, the achievement rates for patients whose target BP was tightened were significantly lower than those for patients with unchanged target BP (office/home, p < 0.001/0.04). The proportion of the patients who achieved their office and home target BP using more than three drugs was 38.5% and 20.0%, respectively. In the present analysis, we unveiled the current problems encountered in the clinical management of hypertension in Japan. In particular, efforts should be focused on the management of patients that require strict BP control.

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Data availability

Data are available at Kanagawa Physicians Association Data Access for investigators, bound by confidentiality agreements. Contact details: Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3-1 Fujimicho naka-ku, Yokohama city, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan; e-mail: k-taishi@xc4.so-net.ne.jp (correspondence to Kazuo Kobayashi, MD).

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all participants and acknowledge the support of the members of Kanagawa Physicians Association who participated in our study. We also thank medical doctors in Japan who took part in J-DOME study.

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There is no funding regarding of this study.

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Correspondence to Kazuo Kobayashi.

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Kobayashi, K., Chin, K., Hatori, N. et al. Cross-sectional survey of hypertension management in clinical practice in Japan: the Kanagawa Hypertension Study 2021 conducted in collaboration with Japan Medical Association Database of Clinical Medicine. Hypertens Res 46, 2447–2459 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-023-01366-z

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