Both hypertensive men and women are inadequately treated in Finnish general practice

Abstract

A general comprehension is that men are treated poorer than women. This study was planned to assess the Finnish hypertensive care with interests in possible hypertensive and cardiovascular control differences between men and women. A cross-sectional study was carried out by nationwide questionnaire survey of 714 consecutive drug-treated hypertensive patients having visited general practice during autumn 2006. Mean (SD) blood pressure (BP) of the women was 148.3 (21.1)/86.8 (11.7) mm Hg and of men 146.5 (19.5)/89.0 (11.8). Women had significantly lower diastolic BP ( P = .016). The mean LDL cholesterol of women was 2.94 (0.91) mmol/L and of men 2.95 (0.94) mmol/L ( P = .94). The blood pressure target <140/85 mm Hg was reached by 25% of the women and 23% of the men ( P = .70). Of the women 30.7% and of the men 31.1% reached low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol <2.5 mmol/L. Women used more diuretics than men ( P = .06). No significant difference was seen between women and men in the number of patients reaching the target pressure <140/85 mm Hg, although diastolic blood pressure of the women was significantly lower. Hypertensive women and men were equally undertreated, and regardless of the sex, antihypertensive and hyperlipidemic control of hypertensive patients should be intensified.