[Current situation of hypertensive patients over 75 years old: the DISEHTAE study].
OBJECTIVE
To assess in patients over 75 years old the degree of their compliance with recommendations on follow-up, control and treatment of hypertension.


METHODS
Descriptive, multi-centre study, covering the whole of Spain.


METHODS
A total of 107 health centres from 14 autonomous communities.


METHODS
Hypertensive patients over 75: 1,369 clinical charts. INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The variables studied were: age and sex, place monitored, blood pressure figures, screening for, and diagnosis of diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, smoking, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and obesity. Blood creatinine, proteinuria, prescribed medication, and infrastructure variables were also included.


RESULTS
The most often screened cardiovascular risk factor (CRF) was obesity (76.1%), whilst the most prevalent was hypercholesterolaemia (31.3%). Of the patients, 25.5% had associated diabetes and 48.5% had a body mass index (BMI) >25. Low microalbuminuria (8.4%) was found. The proportion of patients with their blood pressure controlled was higher among those monitored in primary care (32.8%) than out of primary care (23.2%). No drug treatment was prescribed for 7.9%, only hygiene-dietary measures. The most common pharmacological group was that of the diuretics, followed by IECAS and ARA II.


CONCLUSIONS
Though we can say that the degree of control of hypertension in elderly patients is steadily increasing, it is still far from optimal in most of our patients.
Martínez Pastor
Antonio
A
Unidad Docente de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria, Gerencia de Atención Primaria, Murcia, Spain. amartinezpas@ono.com
Leal Hernández
Mariano
M
Vara González
Luis Alberto
LA
González Elena
Luis Javier
LJ
Paja Fano
Eduardo
E
López Abril
Juan
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male