Pulse pressure and heart rate in patients with metabolic syndrome across Europe: insights from the GOOD survey.

The Global Cardiometabolic Risk Profile in Patients with hypertension disease (GOOD) survey investigated the global cardiometabolic risk profile in 3464 adult outpatients with hypertension across 289 sites in 12 European countries. The pulse pressure and heart rate profile of the survey population was evaluated according to the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus. History and treatment of hypertension were not counted as criteria for metabolic syndrome as they applied to all patients. Out of the 3370 recruited patients, 1033 had metabolic syndrome and 1177 had neither metabolic syndrome nor diabetes. When compared with patients with no metabolic syndrome or diabetes, patients with metabolic syndrome had higher pulse pressure (59±14 vs. 55±14 mm Hg) and heart rate (75.2±11.0 vs. 72.5±10.0 beats per min) (P<0.001 for both), independent of the concomitant presence or absence of diabetes, despite a more prevalent use of ß-blockers. In conclusion, in hypertensive outpatients the presence of metabolic syndrome is associated with increased heart rate and pulse pressure, which may at least in part reflect increased arterial stiffness and increased sympathetic tone. This may contribute, to some extent, to explaining the increased cardiovascular risk attributed to the presence of metabolic syndrome.

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

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.