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LONG‐TERM RESULTS OF TREATMENT OF SEVERE HYPERTENSION
Author(s) -
Barnett A. J.,
Silberberg F. G.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1973.tb129861.x
Subject(s) - medicine , blood pressure , myocardial infarction , population , disease , cause of death , pediatrics , cardiology , surgery , environmental health
A follow‐up study has been carried out on 191 patients with severe complicated hypertension admitted to a clinic commenced in 1951, and reviewed up to December, 1969. Most patients achieved good or fair blood pressure control and symptomatic state and approximately 80% remained in full work. There was an overall survival of 60% at 5 years, 43% at 10 years and 21% at 15 years. Factors Influencing survival included height of blood pressure (systolic level more significant than diastolic), sex (better for females), age (better for younger patients) and degree of involvement of ocular fundi, heart and kidneys. Eighty‐six patients died, the commonest causes of death being cerebral vascular accident (21), myocardial infarction (24) and renal failure (21). Most of the deaths from cerebral and renal causes occurred in the first 5 years of treatment, most of the deaths from myocardial infarction after 5 years. These results are in accord with others in indicating a beneficial effect of treatment in severe hypertension. However, comparison of survival curves with those of the general population leaves no cause for complacency. The need for early treatment of hypertension and elimination of other causes of arterial disease is stressed.