Control de la presión arterial de los pacientes diabéticos en el ámbito de atención primaria. Estudio DIAPA

Abstract

We aimed to assess the blood pressure (BP) control in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) treated in primary care (PC) and to establish the factors associated with a suboptimal control of BP. This was a multicenter, transverse study. Ninety investigators included 875 patients with DM (57.8% women), with a mean (SD) age of 64 (11.8) years. BP was measured according to the Sixth Report of Joint National Committee (JNC-VI) and Word Health Organization/International Society Hypertension (WHO/ISH) recommendations, calculating the arithmetic mean of three consecutive measurements. Patients with a previous established diagnosis were considered to be hypertensive, and an optimal control was considered when BP values were lower than 130/85 mmHg. 66.7% (n = 583) patients with DM were previously diagnosed of hypertension (HT); 86.3% (CI 95%: 83.0-89.1) of those with type 2 DM and 87.8% (CI95%: 70.9-96.0) of those with type 1 DM did not have an optimal control of BP at the visit (BP >= 130 and/or 85 mmHg). 56.8% (CI 95%: 50.1-63.3) of those with type 2 DM and 23.8% (CI 95%: 12.6-39.8) of those with type 1 DM with unknown HT had a BP >= 130 and/or 85 mmHg at the visit. The median of antihypertensive drugs used was 1 (1-2). In a multivariate analysis, age, higher body mass index (BMI), higher cholesterol levels and uric acid were associated with a worse BP control (p < 0.001). In our study, 66.7% of patients with DM attended in PC had known HT and only 13.6% had an optimal BP control. Diabetic patients with HT were undertreated, with a median of one antihypertensive drug.