Improving Survival of Malignant Hypertension Patients Over 40 Years

Abstract

To examine changing demography and survival of patients with malignant phase hypertension (MHT) over 40 years. Patients from our MHT registry whose survival status on 31 December 2006 was known were included, with analyses conducted based on decade of MHT diagnosis. Four-hundred and forty-six patients with MHT (overall mean (s.d.) age 48.2 (12.9), years; 65.5% male; 64.7% white-European; 20.4% African Caribbean, and 14.8% South-Asian) were included. No significant demographic differences at diagnosis were evident over the 40 years, with the exception of a significant increase (P = 0.001) in the proportion of MHT among ethnic minorities (South-Asian and Afro-Caribbeans). There were no significant differences in mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) at presentation but baseline diastolic BP (DBP) was significantly lower after 1976 (P < 0.0001). The total number of person-years of observation was 5,725.5 years, with a median (interquartile range (IQR)) length of follow-up of 103.8 (31.3-251.2) months. Overall 203 patients (55.6%) died, 125 (32.0%) within 5 years of diagnosis. There was a significant improvement in 5-year survival from 32.0% prior to 1977 to 91.0% for patients diagnosed between 1997 and 2006. SBP and DBP improved significantly during follow-up (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analyses revealed that age, decade of MHT diagnosis, baseline creatinine, and follow-up SBP were independent predictors of survival (all P < 0.0001). Demography and number of new cases of MHT have not changed dramatically over the past 40 years. Five-year post-MHT survival has improved significantly, possibly related to lower BP targets, tighter BP control, and availability of new classes of antihypertensive drugs.