Mortality among patients with hypertension from 1995 to 2005: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND

We have reported that the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension increased by 60% from 1995 to 2005 in Ontario. In the present study, we asked whether this increase is explained by a decrease in the mortality rate.

METHODS

We performed a population-based cohort study using linked administrative data for Ontario, a Canadian province with over 12 million residents. We identified prevalent cases of hypertension using a validated case-definition algorithm for hypertension, and we examined trends in mortality from 1995 to 2005 among adults aged 20 years and older with hypertension.

RESULTS

The age- and sex-adjusted mortality among patients with hypertension decreased from 11.3 per 1000 people in 1995 to 9.6 per 1000 in 2005 (p < 0.001), which is a relative reduction of 15.5%. We found that the relative decrease in age-adjusted mortality was higher among men than among women (-22.2% v. -7.3%, p < 0.001).

INTERPRETATION

Mortality rates among patients with hypertension have decreased. Along with an increasing incidence, decreased mortality rates may contribute to the increased prevalence of diagnosed hypertension. Sex-related discrepancies in the reduction of mortality warrant further investigation.