title: The COMmon control of hypErtenSion and Therapeutic Attitudes in Belgium and Luxemburg study (COME STAI).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess hypertension management in general practice in Belgium and Luxembourg, shortly before the publication of the 2013 ESH/ESC Guidelines for arterial hypertension management.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 516 general physicians evaluated 10,078 consecutive hypertensive patients. All used the same definitions to assess cardiovascular risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Systolic (S) blood pressure (BP) was 139 ± 19 mmHg, diastolic (D) BP 80 ± 11 mmHg, patients were 64 ± 13 years old and their body mass index (BMI) was 28 ± 5 kg/m2 (mean ± SD). Treatment remained unchanged in 71% of the patients with a SBP ≥ 140 mmHg. Those on ≥ 2 antihypertensive drugs were older, had higher BMI, slower HR, higher perceived cardiovascular risk, but lower BP (all P ≤ 0.001 vs no and monotherapy groups). Patients in whom treatment was intensified were at higher cardiovascular risk, as substantiated by an increased prevalence of males, a higher BP, a faster HR and a larger BMI (all P ≤ 0.0001). High cardiovascular risk patients underwent more frequent treatment simplifications with fixed-combination therapies or the addition of another antihypertensive class (all P ≤ 0.0001 vs not at high cardiovascular risk). Among the 523 patients older than 80 years with SBP ≥ 140 mmHg, treatment intensification occurred in 32% when SBP ≥ 150 mmHg, and in 10% when SBP was between 140 and 149 mmHg (P ≤ 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The COME STAI study suggests that there is still room for improvement in hypertension control in Belgium and Luxembourg.
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: van de Borne
authors: Luc
authors: L
authors: Missault
authors: Alexandre
authors: A
authors: Persu
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Van Mieghem
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008189:Luxembourg / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Hypertension | general practice | ageing | Belgium | Luxembourg