Worse blood pressure control in patients with cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial disease compared with coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE
Poor blood pressure (BP) control is common amongst patients with symptomatic atherothrombotic disease. It is unclear whether BP control and management differ across atherothrombotic disease subtypes.


METHODS
We analysed the baseline data of 44,984 patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD) only (n = 30,414), cerebrovascular disease (CVD) only (n = 11,359) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) only (n = 3211) from the international REduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health Registry and investigated the impact of atherothrombotic disease subtype on BP control and use of antihypertensive drugs.


RESULTS
The proportion of patients with BP controlled (<140/90 mmHg) was higher in CAD (58.1%) than in CVD (44.8%) or PAD (38.9%) patients (P < 0.001). Amongst patients with treated hypertension, CAD patients were more likely to have BP controlled than were CVD patients [odds ratio (OR) = 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.59-1.75] or PAD (OR = 2.30; 95% CI = 2.10-2.52). These differences were smaller in women than in men and decreased with age. Amongst treated patients, CAD patients were more likely to receive > or =3-drug combination therapies than were CVD (OR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.64-1.83) or PAD (OR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.49-1.80) patients. Adjustment for age, gender, waist obesity, diabetes, education level and world region did not alter the results.


CONCLUSIONS
Coronary artery disease patients are more likely than CVD or PAD patients to have BP controlled and to receive antihypertensive drugs, particularly combination therapies. Promotion of more effective BP control through combination antihypertensive therapies could improve secondary prevention and therefore prevent complications in CVD and PAD patients.
Mechtouff
L
L
Department of Neurology, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, Paris-Descartes University, INSERM U894, Paris, France.
Touzé
E
E
Steg
P G
PG
Ohman
E M
EM
Goto
S
S
Hirsch
A T
AT
Röther
J
J
Aichner
F T
FT
Weimar
C
C
Bhatt
D L
DL
Alberts
M J
MJ
Mas
J-L
JL
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012737:Sex Factors
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents