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The detection, treatment and control of high blood pressure in older British adults: cross-sectional findings from the British Women's Heart and Health Study and the British Regional Heart Study

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 20, pages 733–741 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Among older people, the detection and control of hypertension is particularly important to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. This cross-sectional survey aimed to describe the detection, treatment and control of hypertension in older British adults. A total of 3059 women and 3007 men aged 60–79 years were randomly selected from general practice age/sex registers in 24 British towns and examined from 1998 to 2001. Of these, 52.6% women and 47.9% men had at least one indicator of hypertension (high blood pressure on examination, or taking antihypertensive medication or recalled a doctor diagnosis of high blood pressure). Among women, 50% of those with any indication of hypertension were on treatment and 29% were well controlled, and among men 45% were on treatment and 16% were well controlled. With the exception of alcohol use in men (adjusted odds ratio 0.67 (0.46, 0.98)), socioeconomic factors, area of residence and behavioural risk factors were not associated with good control among those with hypertension in either sex. Of those on treatment, 20.7% of women and 28% of men were on two classes of antihypertensive medication and 3.5 and 4.9%, respectively, were on three or more classes of antihypertensive medication. Among those with a doctor diagnosis of hypertension and taking antihypertensive medication, the proportion with well controlled blood pressure did not differ between those on more than one antihypertensive and those on just one in either sex. We conclude that targets of good control are rarely met in older individuals, who would benefit from the associated reduction in cardiovascular disease risk.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Carol Bedford, Alison Emerton, Nicola Frecknall, Karen Jones, Mark Taylor and Katherine Wornell for collecting and entering data for the BWHHS and Mary Walker, Lucy Lennon and Mary Thomas for collecting and entering data for the BRHS. We thank all of the general practitioners and their staff who have supported data collection and the women and men who have participated in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

    R Patel, D A Lawlor, D Montaner & P Brindle

  2. Division of Community Health Sciences, St George's, University of London, London, UK

    P Whincup

  3. Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK

    O Papacosta

  4. Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

    S Ebrahim

Authors
  1. R Patel
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  2. D A Lawlor
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  3. P Whincup
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  4. D Montaner
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  5. O Papacosta
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  6. P Brindle
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  7. S Ebrahim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R Patel.

Additional information

Funding: The BWHHS and BRHS are funded by the (UK) Department of Health and British Heart Foundation. DAL is funded by a (UK) Department of Health Career Scientist Award. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of any of the funding bodies. The funding bodies have had no influence over the scientific work or its publication.

Contributions:

RP: developed the study aim and wrote first draft of paper.

DAL: co-directs BWHHS, developed the study aim, undertook analyses, contributed to writing the paper.

PW: Co-directs BWHHS and BRHS, contributed to analyses and writing the paper.

DM: Contributed to analyses and writing the paper.

OP: Contributed to analyses and writing the paper.

PB: Contributed to development of the study aim and writing the paper.

SE: Co-directs BWHHS and BRHS, contributed to developing study aim and writing the paper.

RP, DAL and PW act as guarantors.

Conflict of interest: None.

Ethics: BWHHS and BRHS have received local and multi-centre research ethics committee approval.

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Patel, R., Lawlor, D., Whincup, P. et al. The detection, treatment and control of high blood pressure in older British adults: cross-sectional findings from the British Women's Heart and Health Study and the British Regional Heart Study. J Hum Hypertens 20, 733–741 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002064

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002064

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