Cardiovascular Risk Profile in 14.513 patients with essential hypertension followed by Italian specialist physicians

Background: Recent data clearly demonstrated that in Western countries control of blood pressure and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in the hypertensive population is rather poor and far from being satisfactory. Aim: The Observational Pressure Survey (OPS) was planned to assess control of blood pressure and the major modifiable risk factors within a large Italian hypertensive population, aged ≥60 years, followed by hypertension specialists. Results: Systolic blood pressure was controlled below 140mm Hg in only 30.2% of males and 29.9% of females, while diastolic blood pressure was controlled below 90mm Hg in 63.9% of males and 67.8% of females. According to the most recent classification of the European guidelines on hypertension, only 4.8% of the patients had optimal to normal control, whereas 9.7% had high-normal level of blood pressure, and 70% had grade 1–3 hypertension, despite treatment. Also, the control of cardiovascular modifiable risk factors associated with hypertension appeared rather poor in the study. In particular, total cholesterol levels were found to be <200 mg/ dL in approximately 30% of the overall population. Conclusions: The results of the present OPS survey, performed in a hypertensive population routinely followed by specialist physicians, confirm and extend the existing data obtained in other studies, and highlight the need for specific and effective actions directed to modify this negative situation and improve the level of blood pressure control in Italy. Accordingly, this survey suggests that guidelines for treatment of hypertension and cardiovascu- lar risk need to be substantially implemented, not only at the level of general practitioners, but also at the level of specialist physicians.