Apparent treatment-resistant hypertension: characteristics and prevalence in a real-world environment of an integrated health system.

Objectives: We compared the prevalence of apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH) according to the seventh report of the Joint National Committee (JNC 7) and the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline in an integrated healthcare delivery system.

Methods: We identified individuals aged at least 18 years with hypertension from Kaiser Permanente Southern California between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2015. aTRH was defined as either blood pressure (BP) above goal (≥140/90 mmHg per JNC7, and ≥130/80 mmHg per 2017 ACC/AHA for most adults with hypertension) while taking at least 3 classes of antihypertensive medication or taking at least four classes regardless of BP level. A secondary analysis was conducted requiring use of a diuretic for the definition of aTRH. Patient clinical characteristics and antihypertensive medication use were described using electronic health records.

Results: We included 469 509 patients with treated hypertension [mean (SD) age 65 years (12), 46% white, 26% Hispanic, 13% black, and 12% Asian]. The prevalence of aTRH was 16.9 and 21.8% according to the JNC 7 and the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines, respectively [Δ = 4.9% (95% CI: 4.7--5.1%)]. By requiring a diuretic to be considered as aTRH, the prevalence of aTRH decreased to 13.4 and 17.2% according to the JNC 7 and the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines, respectively. Among patients with aTRH, 1.9% received a long-acting thiazide-like diuretic, and 5.6% received a mineralocorticoid receptor blocker.

Conclusion: The prevalence of aTRH increased using the more stringent BP goals of the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline. The use of recommended therapy for aTRH was suboptimal suggesting a potential area for improvement.