Why is cardiovascular risk stratification important in hypertensive patients?

Background: The aim is to evaluate whether cardiovascular (CV) risk stratification in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients according to the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) guidelines, can predict the evolution of target organ damage (TOD) using routine examinations in clinical practice during 1 year.

Methods: Prospective study of recently diagnosed untreated hypertensives. At the moment of inclusion and 1 year later, urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), blood analysis, electrocardiogram, retinography, self-monitored blood pressure (BP) and ambulatory BP measurement were performed.

[Normal values in self-blood pressure measurement in relation to the presence of target organ disease. Data from the VAMPAHICA study].

Background And Objective: International guides of hypertension (HT) recommend self-blood -pressure-measurement (SBPM) values higher than 135/85 mmHg to determine isolated clinical hypertension (ICH). This paper suggests a lower cut-off.

Patients And Method: This prospective, protocol-based study included 378 patients, 250 new hypertensive patients without previous treatment.

Does blood pressure change in treated hypertensive patients depending on whether it is measured by a physician or a nurse?

Objectives: To determine whether there are differences between blood pressure (BP) measured by the nurse (NBP), BP measured by the physician (PBP) and self-measured BP in treated hypertensive patients and, if found, to evaluate their clinical importance.

Method: An observational study is carried out with hypertensive patients recruited from two village-based community health centres in Catalonia (Spain) serving an area with a total population of 2800 inhabitants. All patients treated for hypertension visiting the health centre on a specific day of the week and during the same timetable between October 2000 and May 2001 were included.