Prevalence of Target Organ Damage in Hypertensive Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Papazafiropoulou Athanasia, Skliros Efstathios, Sotiropoulos Alexios, Papafragos Christos, Gikas Aristofanis, Apostolou Ourania, Kaliora Hariklia, Tountas Charalambos
Primary Institution: Hellenic Association of Research and Continuing Education in Primary Care
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence of target organ damage in hypertensive subjects attending primary care?
Conclusion
A significant proportion of hypertensive subjects in primary care had documented associated target organ damage, with left ventricular hypertrophy being the most prevalent.
Supporting Evidence
- 44.5% of the study population had target organ damage.
- 33.0% had left ventricular hypertrophy.
- 21.8% had increased carotid intima media thickness.
- 11.0% had elevated plasma creatinine levels.
- 14.6% had microalbuminuria.
- Target organ damage was more prevalent in males than in females.
- Logistic regression showed associations between target organ damage and dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and coronary artery disease.
Takeaway
Many people with high blood pressure also have damage to important organs, like the heart, which can make them more at risk for serious health problems.
Methodology
This was a multi-centre, cross-sectional survey involving 1095 hypertensive subjects recruited from 115 primary care physicians.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to only including known hypertensive patients.
Limitations
The study included only subjects with a known history of hypertension, which may introduce selection bias, and some data on treatment duration were missing.
Participant Demographics
The study included 611 men (55.8%) and 484 women (44.2%) with a mean age of approximately 62 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.52-2.73
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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