| July
27, 2005
Persons Considered Pre-Hypertensive at Greater
Risk for Cardiovascular Morbidity
Prehypertension is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular
disease, according to a study from researchers with the Medical
University of South Carolina.
These findings support the latest recommendations from the Joint
National Commission on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and
treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7), which added prehypertension
as a new risk category.
The expert panel recommended lifestyle modifications for all
prehypertensive people, defined as those with systolic blood pressure
levels between 120 and 139 mm Hg, or diastolic blood pressure
levels between 80 and 90 mm Hg.
Analyzing nationally-representative data with 18 years of follow-up,
researchers found that people with prehypertension are 1.79 times
as likely to have a major cardiovascular event than those with
normal blood pressure.
Even after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, researchers
found that the relationship between prehypertension and cardiovascular
disease persists with a 1.32 times greater risk of major cardiovascular
event over normal blood pressure.
The authors assert that these findings support recommendations
for physicians to actively target lifestyle modifications and
multiple risk reduction in their prehypertensive patients. Epidemiologic
data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey estimates that 31 percent of the population is prehypertensive
and more than 88 percent of these people have a least one major
cardiovascular risk factor.
An accompanying editorial to this article considers the study's
implications along with the recent recommendations of the JNC
7 for practicing physicians.
The editorial asserts that given the risk associated with prehypertension
and its increasing prevalence in practice, primary care physicians
must think about how they practice when it comes to blood pressure
and what might need to be done beyond clinical practices to work
with patients on making healthy lifestyle changes.
Prehypertension and Cardiovascular Morbity
By Heather Liszka, M.D., et al
Prehypertension, Patient Outcomes, and the Knowledge Base of
Family Medicine
By Lee Green, M.D., M.P.H.
Annals of Family Medicine is a peer-reviewed research journal
that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new, evidence-based
information affecting the primary care discipline. Launched in
May 2003, the journal is sponsored by six family medical organizations,
including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American
Board of Family Medicine, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine,
the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the Association
of Family Medicine Residency Directors and the North American
Primary Care Research Group. Annals is published six times each
year and contains original research from the clinical, biomedical,
social and health services areas, as well as contributions on
methodology and theory, selected reviews, essays and editorials.
A board of directors with representatives from each of the sponsoring
organizations oversees Annals. Complete editorial content and
interactive discussion groups for each published article can be
accessed free of charge on the journal's Web site, http://www.aafp.org.
Kristin Robinson
kristinr@aafp.org
913-906-6000
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.aafp.org
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com |
