title: Impact of uncontrolled hypertension on 12-month clinical outcomes following below-the-knee arteries (BTK) interventions in patients with critical limb ischemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite intensive anti-hypertensive treatment, overall control rates of only 30 ~ 50 % have been reported in patients with hypertension (HTN). However, clinical significance and angiographic characteristics of patients with uncontrolled HTN following Below-the-knee arteries (BTK) interventions in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) are not clarified yet as compared to those with controlled HTN.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total 165 consecutive hypertensive patients with BTK lesions from August 2004 to November 2012 were enrolled for this study. Uncontrolled HTN was defined as a blood pressure of > 140 mmHg systolic and 90 mmHg diastolic under anti-hypertensive treatment. A total of 112 patients (67.8 %) had uncontrolled HTN. We compared the clinical and angiographic characteristics of patients with uncontrolled HTN following BTK interventions to those with controlled HTN at 12-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline characteristics are well balanced between the two groups. At 12 months, there was no difference in the incidence of mortality, target lesion revascularization (TLR), target extremity revascularization (TER), and limb salvage rate in both groups. However, amputation rates were higher in patients with controlled HTN (33.9 vs. 19.6 %, P = 0.045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regardless of blood pressure control, HTN itself was an independent risk factor for BTK lesions, suggesting more intensive medical therapy with close clinical follow up will be required for all BTK patients with HTN.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Im
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Byoung Geol
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Se Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Joong
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Sun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ki Lee
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Bak
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol Ung
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Euy
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Eung Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Gyu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Seog
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, 80, Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703 South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Joo
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Oh
keywords: Below-the-knee artery (BTK) lesion; Peripheral angioplasty; Uncontrolled hypertension