Gender-related differences in the management of hypertension by cardiologists: the PARITE study.
BACKGROUND
Several studies have shown gender differences in the management of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. Whether the management of hypertension by cardiologists in France differs according to patient gender has not been fully investigated.


OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this cross-sectional, multicentre study was to examine the management according to gender of hypertensive patients by office-based cardiologists in France.


METHODS
Cardiologists were asked to include consecutively two men and two women attending a routine consultation for essential hypertension. Therapeutic management was evaluated by comparing cardiovascular investigations in the preceding 6 months and hypertension control according to gender and the patients' global cardiovascular risk.


RESULTS
Overall, data from 3440 adult patients (53% men) referred to 654 cardiologists were analysed. Hypertension was uncontrolled in 76% of both men and women and 69% were at high global cardiovascular risk (75% of men, 62% of women; P<0.001). Significantly fewer cardiovascular investigations had been performed in the preceding 6 months in women (22.6% vs 44.2% in men; P<0.001). The treatment regimen was changed by the cardiologist in approximately 50% of patients regardless of gender or global cardiovascular risk.


CONCLUSIONS
The PARITE study shows that in French office-based cardiology practice, the antihypertensive regimen is adjusted as often in female as in male patients. However, the results suggest that there is room for improvement in the investigation of cardiovascular disease in women. Healthcare providers could be encouraged to implement established guidelines on the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women.
Pôle cardiovasculaire et pulmonaire, médecine vasculaire et hypertension artérielle, faculté Henri-Warembourg, université de Lille, CHRU de Lille, France. claire.mounier-vehier@chru-lille.fr
Claire
C
Mounier-Vehier
Tabassome
T
Simon
Dominique
D
Guedj-Meynier
Marc
M
Ferrini
Emmanuel
E
Ghannad
Jean-Pierre
JP
Hubermann
Gérard
G
Jullien
Pascal
P
Poncelet
Assya
A
Achouba
Stéphane
S
Quéré
Maxime
M
Guenoun
D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002309:Cardiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003935:Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular; D057915:Drug Substitution; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents