Ambulatory hypertensive patients treated by cardiologists in France.

Background: While general practitioners treat most hypertensive patients in France, hypertension is the most frequent pathology treated by cardiologists, raising questions about the differing profiles of such patients. Poor control of hypertension is commonly reported, and yet has not improved over time. Better understanding of the determinants of control, at both patient and physician levels, is necessary to implement improvements in practice.

Aims: To describe the hypertensive population treated by independent cardiologists in France and to assess the prevalence and determinants of not-at-goal blood pressure (BP), at patient and physician levels.

Methods: The COLHYGE study was an observational cross-sectional epidemiological study. Consecutive patients (n=5798) were selected by 371 independent cardiologists in France. Data concerning patients and physicians were assessed.

Results: Our study population had an elevated cardiovascular risk, high prevalence of patients in secondary cardiovascular prevention (27.5%) and a high proportion of diabetic patients (22.8%). Only 20.8% of the population presented controlled BP. At the patient level, the following variables were negatively and independently associated with BP control: age; body mass index; heart rate; recently diagnosed hypertension; left ventricular hypertrophy; patient belief that they are taking too many pills; prescription of calcium channel blockers, lipid-lowering agents and antiplatelet agents. Presence of atrial fibrillation and the prescription of renin-angiotensin system blockers and fixed combinations correlated positively with BP control. At the physician level, working in big cities and having an exclusive independent practice were associated with good BP control. There was high heterogeneity among physicians in terms of BP control, independent of the patient and physician characteristics assessed.

Conclusion: The COLHYGE study has confirmed a high cardiovascular risk and poor BP control among hypertensive patients treated by cardiologists in France. Strategies aiming to control BP should focus on both patient and physician characteristics.