[Control of hypertension in elderly patients receiving primary care in Spain].
OBJECTIVE
Little information is available about the control of arterial hypertension in the elderly population. The aim of this study was to investigate hypertension control, factors associated with poor control, and general practitioners' responses to poor control in a large sample of hypertensive patients aged 65 years or older receiving primary care in Spain.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of elderly hypertensive patients taking antihypertensives was carried out. Blood pressure was measured in the standard manner. Blood pressure control was regarded as optimum if pressure averaged less than 140/90 mm Hg or, in diabetics, less than 130/85 mm Hg.


RESULTS
The study included 5970 patients (mean age, 72.4 years; 62.8% women). Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were well controlled in 33.5% of patients, systolic blood pressure alone in 35.5%, and diastolic blood pressure alone in 76.2%. Blood pressure control was found to be good more frequently when it was assessed in the evening (39.8%; P<.001), and when patients had taken treatment on the day of assessment (35.1%; P <.001). Some 12.9% of diabetics had pressures less than 130/85 mmHg and 9.7% had pressures less than 130/80 mmHg. General practitioners modified their therapeutic approach with only 17.2% of poorly controlled patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Arterial blood pressure control was optimum in only three out of 10 Spanish hypertensive patients aged 65 years or older. Blood pressure control assessment was significantly influenced by surgery hours and by the timing of antihypertensive intake. General practitioners' therapeutic responses to poor control were too conservative.
Rodríguez Roca
Gustavo C
GC
Centro de Salud de La Puebla de Montalbán, Toledo, España. grodriguezr@semergen.es
Artigao Ródenas
Luis M
LM
Llisterri Caro
José L
JL
Alonso Moreno
Francisco J
FJ
Banegas Banegas
José R
JR
Lou Arnal
Salvador
S
Pérez Llamas
Miguel
M
Raber Béjah
Anna
A
Pacheco López
Rubén
R
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017211:Treatment Failure