title: Prevalence and determinants of controlled hypertension in a German population cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data of the German population-based cohort SHIP (Study of Health in Pomerania) were analysed to examine treatment rates, antihypertensive substances prescribed, and the proportion of hypertensive study participants reaching target values for blood pressure as well as determinants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population was defined using baseline data of the cohort (collected between 1997 and 2001). Participants with blood pressure values ≥140/90 mmHg and/or antihypertensive medication with known hypertension and participants with risk-comorbidity (diabetes, stroke, angina pectoris, and/or myocardial infarction) and blood pressure values ≥130/80 mmHg were included. The analysis of treatment and target values was based on the 5-year follow-up of the cohort (collected between 2002 and 2006). Logistic regression was used to identify determinants for a normotensive blood pressure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  3278 SHIP-participants with hypertensive blood pressure values were included (mean age: 55.5 years; SD 13.6, range 21-80 years). The raw hypertension prevalence was 50.9% (N = 1761). 58.7% (N = 1074) of all hypertensive patients reported some form of antihypertensive treatment. Thereof 65.1% (N = 728) received combination therapy. Of the patients without risk-comorbidity, 42.1% (N = 489) reached their target blood pressure values at the time of the 5-year follow-up of the cohort. Of the patients with any risk-comorbidity this proportion was only 21.7% (N = 131). Significant determinants for reaching the target values were being female and having antihypertensive combination therapy. Increasing age, having risk-comorbidities, and obesity were negatively associated with reaching the target values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the proportion of participants receiving therapy and the number of participants reaching their target blood pressure values are very low. Combination therapy is associated with better blood pressure control as compared to mono therapy. However, even in the subgroup of hypertensive patients under combination therapy only 36% (both patients with and without comorbidity) reach target values.
authors.affiliation: University Medicine Greifswald, Institute for Community Medicine Ellernholzstrasse 1-2, 17487, Greifswald, Germany. neeltje.vandenberg@uni-greifswald.de.
authors.forename: Neeltje
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meinke-Franze
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fiss
authors.forename: Sebastian E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Baumeister
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents