RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Assessing blood pressure control in patients treated for hypertension: comparing different measurements and targets
JF British Journal of General Practice
JO Br J Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP 375
OP 377
VO 56
IS 526
A1 Gillian Manning
A1 Andrew Brooks
A1 Barbara Slinn
A1 Michael W Millar-Craig
A1 Richard Donnelly
YR 2006
UL http://bjgp.org/content/56/526/375.abstract
AB We examined how different methods and definitions of blood pressure affect the achievement of targets in general practice. There was a wide range in the proportion of treated patients achieving the different target levels recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, British Hypertension Society and the general medical services contract. Among non-diabetic patients this ranged from; 10–37% (average office), 15–39% (standardised nurse measurement), 11–49% (last recorded) and 31–56% (ambulatory blood pressure). Defining targets without a clear definition of how blood pressure should be measured is largely meaningless and ignoring ambulatory blood pressure results in many patients being classified incorrectly as failing to achieve targets.