Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Letter
  • Published:

Characteristics of the patients referred to a Hypertension Unit between 1989 and 2003

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 22, pages 119–121 (2008)Cite this article

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

The level of blood pressure, the type of antihypertensive treatment and the prevalence of resistant hypertension at the first examination were evaluated in 6254 patients referred to a hospital Hypertension Unit from 1989 to 2003. From 1989–1993 to 1999–2003, we observed a reduced prevalence of grade 2 and grade 3 hypertension, and an increase in the prevalence of grade 1 hypertension, the proportion of treated subjects, the average number of antihypertensive drugs per patient and the prevalence of resistant hypertension.

Although guidelines strongly recommend the pharmacological treatment of hypertensive patients,1, 2, 3 the quality of hypertension care in Western countries remains unsatisfactory, and general practitioners are not aggressive enough in their management of hypertension.4 To improve hypertension care, 2003 European Society of Hypertension and Joint National Committee on Hypertension (JNC) VII Guidelines recommend to consider the referral to a specialist in case of resistant hypertension.1, 3 To our knowledge, the characteristics of patients attending a specialist unit have been previously evaluated in an English study and in two Spanish surveys, where, though, the baseline rate of resistant hypertension was not reported.5, 6, 7

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Guidelines Committee. European Society of Hypertension—European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension. J Hypertens 2003; 21: 1011–1053.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. World Health Organization, International Society of Hypertension Writing Group. 2003 World Health Organization (WHO)/International Society of Hypertension (ISH) statement on management of hypertension. J Hypertens 2003; 21: 1983–1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, Cushman WC, Green LA, Izzo JL et al. Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National High Blood Pressure Education Program Coordinating Committee. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure: The JNC 7 report. JAMA 2003; 289: 2560–2572.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hajjar I, Kotchen TA . Trends in Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the United States, 1988–2000. JAMA 2003; 290: 199–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Valero Capilla FA, Masana Martin L . Clinical characteristics and follow-up of patients attending a hospital hypertension clinic. 10-years experience. An Med Interna 1999; 16: 498–503.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Mediavilla Garcia JD, Fernandez-Torres C, Sabiio Sanchez JM, Hidalgo-tenorio C, Jimenez-Alonso J . Clinical manifestations and level of blood pressure in patients evaluated for the first time in a Hypertension Clinic. J Rev Clin Esp 2003; 203: 273–278.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Shiner T, Simons L, Parkinson H, Khanbhai A, Karthikeyan VJ, Nandhara G et al. The financial cost of optimising blood pressure control [published erratum appears in J Hum Hypertens 2005;19:849. Nandhara, G [added]; Karthikeyen, VJ [added]. J Hum Hypertens 2006 May;20:382. Karthikeyen, VJ [corrected to Karthikeyan, VJ]] J Hum Hypertens 2005; 19: 83–84.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Poluzzi E, Strahinja P, Vargiu A, Chiabrando G, Silvani MC, Motola D et al. Initial treatment of hypertension and adherence to therapy in general practice in Italy. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2005; 61: 603–609.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Malacco E, Ferri C, Grandi AM, Kilana MO, Soglian AG, Vigna L . Treatment of hypertension and adherence to treatment guidelines in clinical practice: an Italian study. Adv Ther 2005; 22: 96–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation, Treatment of high blood pressure. The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Arch Intern Med 1997; 157: 2413–2446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Guidelines Sub-Committee. World Health Organization-International Society of Hypertension guidelines for the management of hypertension. J Hypertens 1999; 17: 151–183.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Egan BM, Lackland DT, Basile JN . American Society of Hypertension Regional Chapters: Leveraging the Impact of the Clinical Hypertension Specialist in the Local Community. Am J Hypertens 2002; 15: 372–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Regione Piemonte, Grant 14.607.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Experimental Oncology, Hypertension Unit, University of Turin, Italy, Torino, Italy

    G Leotta, F Rabbia, A Canadè, E Testa, G Papotti, P Mulatero & F Veglio

Authors
  1. G Leotta
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F Rabbia
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A Canadè
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. E Testa
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G Papotti
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. P Mulatero
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  7. F Veglio
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G Leotta.

Additional information

Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Human Hypertension website (http://www.nature.com/jhh)

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Leotta, G., Rabbia, F., Canadè, A. et al. Characteristics of the patients referred to a Hypertension Unit between 1989 and 2003. J Hum Hypertens 22, 119–121 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002285

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002285

Search

Advanced search

Quick links