title: VALUE trial: Long-term blood pressure trends in 13,449 patients with hypertension and high cardiovascular risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use Evaluation (VALUE) study compares cardiovascular outcomes in 15,314 eligible patients from 31 countries randomized to valsartan or amlodipine-based treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The blood pressure (BP) trends are analyzed in 13,449 of VALUE study patients who had baseline BP and 24 months BP and treatment data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a cohort of 12,570 patients, baseline 24 and 30 months BP, but not 30 months treatment data, were available. Of 13,449 patients, 92% (N = 12,398) received antihypertensive therapy at baseline. The baseline BP was 153.5/86.9 mm Hg in treated compared to 168.1.8/95.3 mm Hg in 1051 untreated patients. After 6 months both groups had indistinguishable BP values. At 12 months the BP decreased to 141.2/82.9 mm Hg (P <.0001 for systolic BP and diastolic BP versus baseline), at 24 months to 139.1/80 mm Hg (P <.0001 v 12 months), and to 138/79 mm Hg at 30 months (P <.0001 v 24 months). The systolic BP control (<140 mm Hg) at 30 months increased from 21.9% at baseline to 62.2%, the diastolic BP (< 90 mm Hg) from 54.2% to 90.2% and the combined control (<140 and <90 mm Hg) from 18.9% to 60.5%. At 24 months 85.8% of patients were on protocol drugs: monotherapy = 39.7%, added hydrochlorothiazide = 26.6%, add-on drugs = 15.1%, and protocol drugs in nonstandard doses = 4.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The achieved BP control exceeds values reported in most published large-scale trials. The VALUE study is executed in regular clinical settings and 92% of the patients received antihypertensive drugs at baseline. When an explicit BP goal is set, and a treatment algorithm is provided, the physicians can achieve better control rates than in their regular practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hypertension, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109+-0356, USA. sjulius@umich.edu
authors.forename: Stevo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Julius
authors.forename: Sverre E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kjeldsen
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hansson
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Platt
authors.forename: Steffan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekman
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Laragh
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.forename: Anthony M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schork
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanchetti
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D017311:Amlodipine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068756:Valsartan
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D013777:Tetrazoles; D017311:Amlodipine; D000068756:Valsartan; D014633:Valine