HUNGARIAN AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING REGISTRY REVEALED THAT HYPERTENSION IS HIGHLY PREVALENT BOTH IN ALREADY DIAGNOSED AND TREATED PATIENTS AND IN SUSPECTED HYPERTENSIVES

Abstract

Objective: In 2021 the Hungarian Society of Hypertension initiated a program to promote the nationwide use of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) (Hungarian ABPM Registry) aiming to increase the awareness of high BP and to monitor the efficacy of therapies. The goal was to collect and analyze the ABPM values of treated hypertensive (HT) and newly diagnosed patients (nHT) and assess the influence of other risk factors, comorbidities and patient characteristics. Design and method: Adults (18-100 years old) can be included into this ongoing, multicenter, open-label, observational study. Data collection to an electronic case report form is performed by GPs, internists, and cardiologists. Meditech ABPM-06 monitors are used. Data of the current analysis were collected between 21.02.2021-5.10.2022. 15 835 ABPMs were performed; due to missing data or protocol deviation 1018 patients were excluded from the analysis. Results: 10212 patients were HTs, 4571 were nHTs (69% and 31%, respectively). 76% of nHT patients were untreated during ABPM. Mean 24-hour systolic and diastolic BP was 134.03±14.6 mmHg and 79.3±10.1 mmHg, respectively. There was no difference in the 24-hour mean systolic BP between nHT and HT patients (134.08±14.9 mmHg vs. 133.91±14.6 mmHg, respectively, p = NS). Two-third of the patients (all: 68.2%, HT: 68.5%, nHT: 67.6%) were hypertensive according to ABPM measurements. Obesity (BMI>30 kg/m2) doubled the risk of hypertension in both groups (OR = 2.18 [2.03;2.34] for 24-hour average), but it had a higher impact in nHTs (OR = 2.57[2.22;2.98] for 24-hour average in nHT and OR = 2.12[1.94;2.30] for 24-hour average in HT patients). Snoring increased the risk of hypertension in both group of patients (OR = 1.45[1.34;1.56] for 24-hour average) irrespectively of gender, and – interestingly – it had a greater impact on the daily values of BP (day: OR = 1.51[1.40;1.62] and night: OR = 1.32[1.22;1.42]). Conclusions: The new ABPM Hungary Registry revealed hypertension in the majority of screened individuals, regardless of gender or treatment. In addition, in both gender, obesity, snoring, increased the risk of hypertension. These data underline the importance of ABPM in the screening for and treatment of hypertension leading to the earlier and more effective treatment.