[Blood pressure findings in Spanish dyslipidemic primary-care patients. LIPICAP-PA Study].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Despite the well-known significant relationship between blood pressure and cardiovascular mortality, few data are available on the blood pressure characteristics of dyslipidemic patients. The aims of this study were to determine the blood pressure characteristics of dyslipidemic patients being treated in primary care, and to identify factors associated with poor blood pressure control.

METHODS

This multicentre cross-sectional study involved patients of both sexes aged > or =18 years who were diagnosed with dyslipidemia (i.e., hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, mixed dyslipidemia, or a low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level) in the 17 Spanish autonomous regions. Blood pressure was measured according to standard procedures, and was considered well-controlled if it was <140/90 mm Hg (or <130/80 mm Hg in patients with diabetes, nephropathy or cardiovascular disease).

RESULTS

In total, 7054 patients were studied (mean age 61.3 [11.2] years, 50.8% male). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 134.6 [14.2]/79.8 [8.9] mm Hg, with significant differences (P< .001) between hypertensives (140.8 [14.6]/82.8 [9.0] mmHg) and normotensives (128.5 [10.7]/76.9 [7.7] mm Hg). Good blood pressure control was observed in 47.4% (95% confidence interval, 46.3-48.5%) of subjects overall, in 29.3% of hypertensives, and in 12.8% of hypertensive diabetics. Poor control was associated with an increased cardiovascular disease risk (hazard ratio [HR]=2.89), poor control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HR=1.43), a higher body mass index (HR=1.06), and older age (HR=1.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Fewer than half of dyslipidemic primary-care patients in Spain had good blood pressure control. Poor control was associated, in particular, with increased cardiovascular risk and poor control of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level.