title: The global risk approach should be better applied in French hypertensive patients: a comparison between simulation and observation studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prediction of the public health impact of a preventive strategy provides valuable support for decision-making. International guidelines for hypertension management have introduced the level of absolute cardiovascular risk in the definition of the treatment target population. The public health impact of implementing such a recommendation has not been measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We assessed the efficiency of three treatment scenarios according to historical and current versions of practice guidelines on a Realistic Virtual Population representative of the French population aged from 35 to 64 years: 1) BP≥160/95 mm Hg; 2) BP≥140/90 mm Hg and 3) BP≥140/90 mm Hg plus increased CVD risk. We compared the eligibility following the ESC guidelines with the recently observed proportion of treated amongst hypertensive individuals reported by the Etude Nationale Nutrition Santé survey. Lowering the threshold to define hypertension multiplied by 2.5 the number of eligible individuals. Applying the cardiovascular risk rule reduced this number significantly: less than 1/4 of hypertensive women under 55 years and less than 1/3 of hypertensive men below 45 years of age. This was the most efficient strategy. Compared to the simulated guidelines application, men of all ages were undertreated (between 32 and 60%), as were women over 55 years (70%). By contrast, younger women were over-treated (over 200%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The global CVD risk approach to decide for treatment is more efficient than the simple blood pressure level. However, lack of screening rather than guideline application seems to explain the low prescription rates among hypertensive individuals in France. Multidimensional analyses required to obtain these results are possible only through databases at the individual level: realistic virtual populations should become the gold standard for assessing the impact of public health policies at the national level.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pre-clínicas, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile. ivanny.marchant@uv.cl
authors.forename: Ivanny
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marchant
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nony
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cucherat
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Boissel
authors.forename: S Randall
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bejan-Angoulvant
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laugerotte
authors.forename: Riad
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kahoul
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gueyffier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003198:Computer Simulation; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents