Abstract

Background: Blood pressure (BP) control in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) decreases morbidity and mortality. The US Joint National Committee VII (JNC-7) recommends patients with underlying CAD have a goal systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 130 and a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 80. These goals can be achieved by using multiple classes of drugs, including beta-blockers (BB), angiotensin antagonists (ACE-I/ARB), calcium channel blockers (CCB), diuretics, and nitrates. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study focusing on the attainment of JNC-7 recommended BP goals in a diverse population of 857 veterans undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) between September 2004 and December 2009 at the Jesse Brown Veterans Hospital in Chicago, IL. Data was collected comparing both BP measurements and anti-hypertensive regimens pre and post PCI. Results: In the 857 patients studied, the mean SBP decreased from 134 mm Hg to 129 mm Hg (p<0.0001), and the mean DBP decreased from 73 mm Hg to 71 mm Hg (p<0.0001). In regards to the JNC-7 guidelines, the percent of patients who achieved SBP goals increased from 44% to 54% (377 to 463 of 857) (p<0.0001), and the percent of patients who achieved DBP goals increased from 71% to 78% (608 to 668 of 857) (p<0.0001). There was a change in the use of each drug class; the use of ACE-I/ARB increased from 72% to 89% (617 to 763 out of 857) (p<0.0001), the use of BB increased from 63% to 76% (540 to 651 out of 857) (p<0.0001), the use of diuretics increased from 41% to 43% (351 to 369 out of 857) (p=0.2997), and the use nitrates increased from 24% to 29% (206 to 249 out of 857) (p=0.0007). The use of CCB, however, decreased from 34% to 30% (291 to 257 out of 857) (p=0.0121). Conclusions: There was improvement in both mean BP and percentage of patients achieving JNC-7 recommended goals for SBP & DBP at six months post PCI, though overall percentages still remain suboptimal. Additionally, medication use improved in most drug classes, with the exception of calcium channel blockers. In particular, both beta-blocker and angiotensin antagonist use increased significantly.

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