Heart and kidney involvement and prognosis in hypertension. A study concerning referred hypertensive patients and hypertensive patients found by blood pressure screening.
Severity of hypertension, frequency of secondary hypertension and prognosis have been compared in two groups of hypertensive men. The first group (n=686) was taken from a blood pressure screening of a total population sample. The other group (n=154) consisted of hypertensive men, referred to a hypertension clinic by physicians. The mean age of the groups was the same, (X=52 years, range 46--59 years). All went through the same investigations and were followed up and treated in a similar way at the hypertension clinic. The referred men had more severe hypertension, as shown by significantly more heart and kidney involvements. They also had a higher incidence of myocardial infarction, implying a poorer prognosis with regard to cardiovascular disease. The analysis shows the importance of a detailed description of studied groups, not only in terms of blood pressure, age and sex, but also with respect to the frequency and degree of present and previous signs of heart and kidney involvement. With such a description it is possible to compare results from different studies regarding pathophysiological mechanisms and the effect of treatment in hypertension.
D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011379:Prognosis