remarks on Hypertension management algorithm for type 2 diabetic patients applied in primary care

Letter to the editor Hypertension management algorithm for type 2 diabetic patients applied in primary care Luciana V Viana, Cristiane B Leitão, Maria F Grillo, Ennio P C C Rocha, Juliana K Brenner, Rogerio Friedman and Jorge L Gross : Diabetology and Metabolic Syndrome 2013, 5:52 Paul Smits, general practitioner with special interest in cardiovascular disease, Netherlands This interesting primary care based study studied the results of the use of an algorithm in obtaining blood pressure under the threshold of the American Diabetes Association and the Joint National Committee on Prevention. Almost half of the studied population did not reach blood pressure below the threshold, even when the new recommendations of the ADA 2013 were considered as target levels. I would like to present a few remarks. Firstly, the authors mention that the study population was recruited from a primary care unit responsible for the health of approximately 40.000 people. From that population only 117 patients with diabetes type 2 where included. 90% of them were diagnosed with hypertension. Regarding a prevalence of about 5,8% in Brazil (1), more than 2000 diabetics must be present in this population. This makes me wonder how representative the studied cohort is compared to the whole population. The result of the run-in period is remarkable. The decline in blood pressure is as steep as in the intervention period. The decline in diastolic tension is even steeper, suggesting that medication...
Source: Diabetology and Metabolic Syndrome Comments - Category: Endocrinology Authors: Source Type: forums