Ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive patients with inclusion criteria for the SPRINT trial.

We aimed to characterize 24-hour blood pressure (BP) values and categories in patients with inclusion/exclusion criteria of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention (SPRINT) trial from the Spanish ABPM Registry. We selected patients older than 50 years, with office systolic BP (SBP) above 130 mm Hg and at high cardiovascular risk, but without diabetes, previous stroke, or symptomatic heart failure. Ambulatory BP was compared among BP categories. A total of 39,132 patients (34%) fulfilled inclusion criteria of SPRINT trial. Ambulatory SBP was considerably lower than office BP, with 42% of patients having daytime values below 130 mm Hg and 21% 24-hour values below 120 mm Hg. In conclusion, more than one-third of the hypertensive population included in the Spanish ABPM Registry can be considered as SPRINT candidates, although one out of five have values of 24-hour SBP below 120 mm Hg. These data suggest that knowledge of ABPM values could be helpful when planning a treatment intensification in high-risk patients.

Treatment and blood pressure control in Spain during 2002-2010.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the evolution of hypertension management and blood pressure (BP) control in Spain in the last decade across PRESCAP 2002, 2006 and 2010. METHODS: The methodology of the three studies was the same. They were multicenter and cross-sectional surveys aimed to determine BP control rates in hypertensive patients in primary care in Spain during 2002, 2006 and 2010, respectively. In each study, patients at least 18 years, with an established diagnosis of hypertension were included. Adequate BP control was defined as BP less than 140/90 mmHg in the general population (<130/85 mmHg in PRESCAP 2002 and less than 130/80 mmHg in PRESCAP 2006 and PRESCAP 2010 for patients with diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease). RESULTS: A total of 12,754 patients (mean age 63.3 ± 10.8 years; 57.2% women), 10,520 patients (64.6 ± 11.3 years; 53.7% women) and 12,961 patients (66.3 ± 11.4; 52.0% women) were included in PRESCAP 2002, PRESCAP 2006 and PRESCAP 2010 studies respectively. With regard to BP control rates, 36.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 35.2-36.9%], 41.4% (95% CI 40.5-42.4%) and 46.3% of patients (95% CI 45.4-47.1%) achieved BP goals in PRESCAP 2002, PRESCAP 2006 and PRESCAP 2010, respectively (P < 0.0001). In PRESCAP 2002, 56% of patients were on monotherapy, 35.6% were taking two drugs and 8.4% at least three drugs. In PRESCAP 2006 these numbers were 44.4, 41.1 and 14.5%, respectively, and in PRESCAP 2010 they were 36.4, 44.1 and 19.5%, respectively (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: BP control rates have improved in Spain from 2002 to 2010. This may be related, at least in part, with the higher use of antihypertensive treatment, particularly combined therapy.

Using ankle-brachial index to detect peripheral arterial disease: prevalence and associated risk factors in a random population sample.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is being used increasingly to diagnose peripheral arterial disease (PAD) that predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of PAD and associated risk factors in a Spanish random population sample of age > or =40. METHODS AND RESULTS: PAD is defined as an ABI<0.9 in either leg. 784 participants of age > or =40 were randomly selected in a Spanish province. 55.4% of them were female. The prevalence of PAD in this sample was 10.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 8.4-12.8); 9.7% in females and 11.4% in males. In logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age and gender, smoking per 10 pack-years (odds ratio (OR) 1.40, 95% CI 1.23-1.58), hypertension (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.05-3.28), hypercholesterolemia (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.04-2.98), and diabetes (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.04-3.11) were positively associated with prevalent PAD. More than 91% of persons with PAD had one or more cardiovascular disease risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that in our study hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus and smoking are associated with PAD. The majority of individuals with PAD had at least one important cardiovascular risk factor advanced enough to be considered eligible for an aggressive treatment.

Home-based self-measurement of blood pressure: a proposal using new reference values (the PURAS study).

OBJECTIVES: To establish reference values for blood pressure by means of self-measurement of blood pressure (BP) conducted at home. DESIGN: Descriptive study of the distribution of self-measured BP at home and its correspondence with clinic-based measurements of BP. METHODS: The aim of this study is to define the home BP levels that correspond to clinic BP thresholds 140/90 mmHg (hypertension) and 130/85 mmHg (normality). The sample consisting of 1411 randomly selected adults stratified by age and gender. A pre-calibrated electronic device (Omron 705CP) was used for BP and heart rate (HR) measurements and a trained nurse performed clinic-based sphygmomanometer measurements. The same nurse provided tutorials for the subjects on how to obtain 12 self-measured BP values at home using the Omron device in a single day. RESULTS: Of the 1184 volunteers that attended the appointment, 195 were known as hypertensives and were excluded from the study. The average age of the remaining 989 subjects (50.4% females) was 44.3 years. Clinic BP values were significantly higher than self-measured BP at home regardless of age and gender. Both had good correlations (systolic BP, r=0.84 and diastolic BP, r=0.77). Using linear regression, the self-measured BP at home hypertension threshold would be 131/82 mmHg and the limit of normality 123/78 mmHg. Using corresponding percentiles, these values would be 134/85 and 124/80 mmHg, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The self-measured BP at home values found in this study, when defining hypertension, are lower than values currently accepted (135/85 mmHg). Long-term studies are necessary to confirm these results.