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CHANGES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND ANTIHYPERTENSIVE TREATMENT IN A COMMUNITY OVER FOUR YEARS
Author(s) -
Lovell R. R. H.,
Stephens W. B.,
Ulman R. D.
Publication year - 1977
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.1326-5377.1977.tb131139.x
Subject(s) - blood pressure , medicine , diastole , cardiology , randomized controlled trial , prehypertension
In 1971 persons aged 50 to 59 years in Albury were screened for hypertension and those with diastolic blood pressure equal to or over 110 mm Hg were notified. On screening of the sample in 1975, the proportion of persons receiving treatment had doubled to 22%. Most of those newly receiving treatment in 1975 had had diastolic blood pressures under 110 mm Hg in 1971. The mean systolic and diastolic pressures of the newly treated group had fallen by 13$md7 and 9$md1 nun Hg respectively to 153$md5 and 91$md6 mm Hg. The mean pressures of subjects already receiving treatment in 1971 and continuing it remained higher (163$md1 mm Hg systolic and 100$md9 nun Hg diastolic), despite their receiving relatively more medication. The latter group was composed of patients likely to have had more severe hypertension originally, and the importance of effective treatment for Stem is emphasized. The frequency with which subjects with mild hypertension are being treated demonstrates the urgent need to complete randomized controlled trials of treatment in this group.