%0 Journal Article
%T Antihypertensive and lipid lowering treatment in 70¨C74 year old individuals ¨C predictors for treatment and blood-pressure control: a population based survey. The Hordaland Health Study (HUSK)
%A Mette Brekke
%A Steinar Hunskaar
%A J£¿rund Straand
%J BMC Geriatrics
%D 2006
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2318-6-16
%X A health survey carried out in 1997-9 in the county of Hordaland, Norway included a self-administered questionnaire mailed to 4 338 persons born in 1925-7. Drug use the day prior to filling in the questionnaire was reported. A health check-up was carried out, where their systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), body mass index (BMI), and serum-cholesterol level were recorded.One third of respondents used one or more antihypertensive drugs, while 13% of men and women were treated with a statin. Diabetes mellitus, own or relatives'cardiovascular disease, having quit smoking, physical inactivity, and overweight correlated with antihypertensive treatment. Mean blood pressure was lower in respondents not on treatment. Among those on treatment, 38% of men and 29% of women had reached a target BP-level of lower than 140/90 mm Hg. Own cardiovascular disease and a low BMI correlated with good BP-control.One third of 70¨C74 year old individuals living in the community used one or more antihypertensive drugs. Only around one third of those treated had reached a target BP-level of less than 140/90 mm Hg. Own cardiovascular disease and a low BMI correlated with good BP-control.During the past decades, an increasing body of evidence has emerged on the importance of blood pressure as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease also in elderly people. Current European and US guidelines reinforce that doctors should not focus solely on hypertension, but include blood lipids and lifestyle factors in a multi-factorial risk assessment [1,2]. Since the first guideline on the management of hypertension were issued by the WHO in 1962 [3], subsequent versions have emerged at regular intervals. In general, the newer the guidelines, the lower the blood pressure (BP) cut-off points for intervention, and a corresponding trend also applies to the guidelines for blood lipids [4].Most pharmacological interventions for modifying cardiovascular risk factors take place in general practice. H
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2318/6/16