News - Hypertension Week of Jan. 25, 2004/ Vol. 3 No. 04

Study: Patients With Hypertension Fare Just As Well With Less Frequent Doctor Visits

Patients with high blood pressure do not need to see their physicians every three months to keep it under control. Six months will do, according to a study reported in the January 24 issue of the British Journal of Medicine.

The National Committee on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood pressure (JNC7) recommends follow up every three to six months is appropriate once blood pressure stabilizes. The British Hypertension Society says every three months should be adequate once blood pressure is under control with the interval not to exceed six months. The 1999 Canadian consensus guidelines recommend similar intervals to the British.

After studying 609 patients receiving treatment for hypertension at 50 family practices in Canada, researchers found that those who saw their doctors every six months had similar levels of blood pressure control, patient satisfaction, and adherence to treatment. Regardless of how often they saw their doctors, 20 percent of the patients in both groups still had poor control of blood pressure at the end of the three-year study.

"Follow-up interval may not be the most important factor in the control of hypertension by family practitioners," concluded the researchers, adding that control of blood pressure by patients and their doctors is still far from ideal.

With initial diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases such as hypertension, the researchers emphasized that most people need lifelong medical care and follow up, explaining that doctors must ultimately decide how often to follow up for blood pressure control and monitoring of treatment.

Other sources: British Medical Journal