engleski

Quality of hypertension care in Croatian family practice

Aims: To explore the prevalence of treated hypertensives and the achievements in family doctors' office. Patients and methods: Among 6, 200 patients registered in four family practices in Split, Croatia, analyzed were all the registered hypertensives managed for at least 3 months. Results: There were 801 (288 males, 513 females) or 12.9% treated hypertensives. The mean starting blood pressure (BP) value was 162.81± ; ; 19.29 / 98.16± ; ; 11.74 mm Hg. After a treatment period (median about 10 years), it decreased to 148.81± ; ; 18.76/ 86.34± ; ; 10.01 mm Hg (p<0.001). The target BP, i.e. Ł139/89 mm Hg, was achieved in 18.2% of the hypertensive patients. A single antihypertensive was used in 49.7%, two drugs in 35.0%, and three or more in 10.4% of the patients (4.9% could not be classified). The most prescribed were the thiazides (47.7%), followed by CCBs (27.5%). Discussion: The observed share of treated hypertensives in a general patients’ population below 13% is unacceptably low but comparable to other countries. A significant BP decrease was obtained, but the achieved normotension rate (<19%) was low. Conclusions: Arterial hypertension is still underdiagnosed in family practice, its work-up is insufficient, documentation fragmentary, and the current control rate firmly supports the time honored “ rule of halves” .

arterial hypertension; management; family medicine

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