title: Survival in patients with hypertension treated in primary care. A population-based follow-up study in the Skaraborg Hypertension and Diabetes Project.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore risk factors for all-cause mortality in patients with hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-based cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hypertension outpatient clinic in primary health care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hypertensive men and women who consecutively underwent an annual follow-up during 1992--1993 (n =894).
  
  
  METHODS
  Vital status was ascertained up to December 1999 by record linkage with national registers. Gender-specific predictors for mortality from baseline examination were analysed by Cox regression.
  
  
  METHODS
  All-cause mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both sexes all-cause mortality was predicted by fasting blood glucose (RR by 1 mmol L(-1): 1.2, CI: 1.1-1.3 in men; 1.2, 1.1-1.4 in women), and known type 2 diabetes (RR: 1.9, CI: 1.3-2.9 in men; 2.5, 1.7-3.9 in women). In men, furthermore, mortality was predicted by previous cardiovascular disease, left ventricular hypertrophy and microalbuminuria, whilst in women mortality was predicted by high blood pressure and dyslipidemia. In patients without known diabetes male gender was a strong predictor of mortality (RR: 2.0, CI: 1.4-2.9), whereas in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes combined, male gender was not associated with increased mortality (RR: 1.4, CI: 0.9-2.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Type 2 diabetes in hypertensive patients treated in primary care predicts mortality and dilutes gender difference in survival. For hypertensive patients general practitioners should be observant regarding disturbed glucose metabolism and regarding the associated major risk increase in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden. erik.bog-hansen@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bøg-Hansen
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merlo
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gullberg
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melander
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Råstam
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lindblad
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology