Applicability to primary care of national clinical guidelines on blood pressure lowering for people with stroke: cross sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the characteristics of patients with cerebrovascular disease in primary care with those of the participants in the PROGRESS trial, on which national guidelines for blood pressure lowering are based.


METHODS
Population based cross sectional survey of patients with confirmed stroke or transient ischaemic attack.


METHODS
Seven general practices in south Birmingham, England.


METHODS
All patients with a validated history of stroke (n = 413) or transient ischaemic attack (n = 107).


METHODS



METHODS
age, sex, time since last cerebrovascular event, blood pressure, and whether receiving antihypertensive treatment.


RESULTS
Patients were 12 years older than the participants in PROGRESS and twice as likely to be women. The median time that had elapsed since their cerebrovascular event was two and a half years, compared with eight months in PROGRESS. The systolic blood pressure of 315 (61%) patients was over 140 mm Hg, and for 399 (77%) it was over 130 mm Hg. One hundred and forty seven (28%) patients were receiving a thiazide diuretic, and 136 (26%) were receiving an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor.


CONCLUSIONS
Important differences exist between the PROGRESS trial participants and a typical primary care stroke population, which undermine the applicability of the trial's findings. Research in appropriate populations is urgently needed before the international guidelines are implemented in primary care.
Mant
Jonathan
J
Department of Primary Care and General Practice, Primary Care, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT. j.w.mant@bham.ac.uk
McManus
Richard J
RJ
Hare
Rachel
R
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*