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.

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.

The usefulness of ophthalmoscopy in risk evaluation of hypertensive patients.

Objectives: The main objective was to assess whether systematic ophthalmoscopy in the baseline evaluation of hypertensive patients results in a change in the therapeutic attitude as a result of the discovery of target organ damage. A secondary objective was to find the relationship between fundus lesions and other target organ manifestations in patients with hypertension.

Results: 73.