Publications by authors named "Natalie Mecum"
Background: European guidelines recommend that antihypertensive management should be graded as a function of total cardiovascular risk.
Aims: To examine the multilevel (patient- and physician-level) determinants of blood pressure and residual total cardiovascular risk outcomes associated with second-line valsartan therapy.
Methods: The BSCORE study was a prospective, multi-centre, pharmacoepidemiological study of the "real-world" effectiveness of second-line valsartan with or without hydrochlorothiazide.
Article Synopsis
- This study examined the effectiveness of a single-pill combination of amlodipine/valsartan in treating high blood pressure and improving total cardiovascular risk in over 3,500 patients.
- The results showed significant reductions in systolic (20.1 mm Hg) and diastolic (9.8 mm Hg) blood pressure, with larger improvements noted in high-risk patients.
- The study also found that physician factors contributed to variability in blood pressure and cardiovascular risk outcomes, highlighting the importance of both patient characteristics and physician practices in treatment effectiveness.