Blood Pressure Variability and Cardiovascular Disease Events in Patients With Hypertension

Overview

Cardiovascular Disease (CV) including stroke is the leading cause of death in Malaysia Hypertension is a major contributor to this. Prevalence of hypertension in Malaysia is high (42%) in adults age 30 years or older. Besides the actual blood pressure (BP) level recently, blood pressure variability (BPV) has been recognized as an independent and strong predictor of CV events especially strokes. However, data on the BP variability and its relationship to CV events is very limited in Asia, particularly in Malaysia. Hence the investigators aim to study BPV and its relationship to CV events in treated hypertensive patients

This will be a cross-sectional study on patients with hypertension. The 10-year retrospective data on BP, treatment, biochemical changes, kidney function and CV events will be extracted from patient records. Eligible patients who have given written informed consent will be given a questionnaire capturing data of their socio-demographic status, weight, height and BP measured. Those agreeable to measure their own BP at home 3 times a day for a week will be loaned a BP device to measure their own BP at home. The home BP readings will be recorded onto a provided form and returned to the investigators. Data will be analysed to 1. determine BPV of the clinic visit-to-visit BPV (long tem BPV) 2. determine the day to day BPV (short term BPV) 3. examine the BPV to CV events, kidney function, cognition 4. determine the prevalence of white coat and masked hypertension 5. determine the level of control of BP 6. examine the relationship of ownership of home BP devices to control and satisfaction of treatment

Conditions