Level of blood pressure control in a hypertensive population when measurements are performed outside the clinical setting.

Background: To determine whether the number of optimally controlled hypertensive patients is higher using self-measurement of blood pressure at home and ambulatory monitoring, compared to using conventional blood pressure measurements at the doctor's office.

Method: An observational, cross-sectional, multicentre, descriptive study of a random sample of 237 primary health care patients, known to be hypertensive, from Badajoz (Spain). Blood pressure was measured at the doctor's office and by self-measurement at home.

[1991-2004 follow-up of a Spanish general population cohort. Mortality and raising risk factors in the DRECE III Study (Diet and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Spain)].

Background: The DRECE III study is based on the follow up of a cohort representative of the Spanish general population. The mortality, its main causes and relevant risk factors have been analyzed.

Methods: The DRECE cohort is composed of 4783 subjects followed since 1991 to 2004 (70930 person-years).