European Survey Highlights the Risk to Patients Caused by Inconsistency in Hypertension Management
Munich (ots/PRNewswire)
For distribution to the consumer and medical media across Europe (excluding the UK)
- Findings From the Supporting Hypertension Awareness and Research Europe-wide (SHARE) Survey Suggest the Need to Implement a Consistent Strategy to Improve and Maintain Blood Pressure Control
Physicians' treatment approaches to hypertension management are inconsistent[1] despite ESH-ESC (European Society of Hypertension and European Society of Cardiology) arterial hypertension guidelines[2], which could put patients with elevated blood pressure at risk, according to findings published recently in the Journal of Hypertension.[1] This inconsistency in adherence to the guidelines amongst physicians is one of the contributing factors to the substantial health and economic burden associated with uncontrolled blood pressure across Europe.[1]
Hypertension causes 7.6 million premature deaths worldwide and as many as 1 billion people may have uncontrolled hypertension worldwide.[3,4] If left untreated, hypertension may lead to serious cardiovascular health complications such as heart attack or stroke.[5] Uncontrolled hypertension is therefore a significant contributor to healthcare spending across Europe as the annual cardiovascular health bill in the EU is in excess of EUR190 billion.[6]
The Supporting Hypertension Awareness and Research Europe-wide (SHARE) survey sought the views of 2629 physicians from primary and secondary care around Europe and forms part of HypertensionCare, a commitment from Daiichi Sankyo to providing increased knowledge and insight to physicians across Europe. The survey found 82% of physicians believe that ESH-ESC guideline blood pressure targets of 140/90 mmHg are 'about right' or 'not tight enough'.[1]
However, findings from the survey indicated that physicians only found cause for concern when patients average blood pressure was 149/92 mmHg, which is higher than guideline targets. Furthermore, of those physicians surveyed, blood pressure levels needed to reach an average of 168/100 mmHg before they felt compelled to take immediate action. Over 90% of physicians said they would not take action until their patients' systolic or diastolic blood pressure was higher than the guideline recommended levels.[1]
"All patients with a blood pressure over 140/90mmHg need to be carefully managed to bring their blood pressure down and reduce their cardiovascular risk. By delaying treatment or settling for blood pressure over this target, physicians are leaving patients at a potentially higher risk of cardiovascular events," said Professor Roland Schmieder, Professor of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Hypertension and Head of the Clinical Research Competence Unit of Hypertension and Vascular Medicine at the University Hospital Erlangen, Germany and member of the SHARE Steering Committee. "As physicians we typically assume that a patient not reaching blood pressure goal is down to the patient's lack of compliance or adherence to treatment, but this survey clearly shows that as physicians we can also do more to help all our patients reach blood pressure goal," he continued.
Understanding the challenges of getting more hypertensive patients to blood pressure goal is a key objective of the SHARE survey, a collaborative initiative driven by European leaders in hypertension with the support of Daiichi Sankyo [http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu]. Findings like these enable Daiichi Sankyo [http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu] to develop simple and effective solutions through HypertensionCare to help physicians tackle the day to day challenges of hypertension management. The HypertensionCare program provides both knowledge and support services, as well as a range of products to physicians managing hypertension. For further information on the SHARE findings and HypertensionCare visit http://www.hypertensioncare.eu (this website is intended for healthcare professionals only).
References
[1] Redon, J et al. Journal of Hypertension. Physician attitudes to blood pressure control: Finding from the Supporting Hypertension Awareness and Research Europe-wide (SHARE) survey. Journal of Hypertension 2011; 29; E-pub ahead of print. DOI:10.1097/HJH.0b013e328348c934
[2] Mancia G et al. Reappraisal of European guidelines on hypertension management: a European Society of Hypertension Task Force document. Journal of Hypertension 2009; 27:2121-2158
[3] Lawes, C. M., Vander Hoorn, S. & Rodgers, A. Global burden of blood-pressure-related disease, 2001. Lancet 2008; 371(9623):1513-18.
[4] Gupta et al. Compliance, Safety, and Effectiveness of Fixed-Dose Combinations of Antihypertensive Agents. A Meta-Analysis.Hypertension 2010; 55:399.
[5] Chalmers, J et al. 1999 World Health Organization-International Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the management of hypertension. Guidelines sub-committee of the World Health Organization. Clin Exp Hypertens 1999; 21(5-6):1009-60.
[6] Allender, S et al. European cardiovascular disease statistics, European Heart Network. Available at: http://www.ehnheart.org/cdv-statistics.html (accessed February 2011).
About HypertensionCare
HypertensionCare is the only dedicated hypertension solution providing healthcare professionals with a wide range of products, services and knowledge to help them overcome the challenges of hypertension in their daily practice. HypertensionCare includes four medicines which provide treatment path options that help manage the progression of hypertension. The medicines; Olmetec, Olmetec Plus, Sevikar and Sevikar HCT, include single compounds and fixed dose combinations and are powered by olmesartan. In addition to its products, Daiichi Sankyo [http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu] provides physicians with tools and educational material to enable them to better address the obstacles faced in reaching blood pressure target goals. For further information visit http://www.hypertensioncare.eu (this website is intended for healthcare professionals only).
About Daiichi Sankyo [http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu]
The Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply of innovative pharmaceutical products to address the diversified, unmet medical needs of patients in both mature and emerging markets. While maintaining its portfolio of marketed pharmaceuticals for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and bacterial infections, the Group is engaged in the development of treatments for thrombotic disorders and focused on the discovery of novel oncology and cardiovascular-metabolic therapies. Furthermore, the Daiichi Sankyo Group has created a "Hybrid Business Model", which will respond to market and customer diversity and optimize growth opportunities across the value chain. The company's world headquarters is in Tokyo. Its European base is located in Munich. Daiichi Sankyo [http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu] Europe has affiliates in 12 European countries in addition to a global manufacturing site located in Pfaffenhofen, Germany. For more information, please visit: http://www.daiichisankyo.com or http://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information about future developments in the sector, and the legal and business conditions of Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH. Such forward-looking statements are uncertain and are subject at all times to the risks of change, particularly to the usual risks faced by a global pharmaceutical company, including the impact of the prices for products and raw materials, medication safety, changes in exchange rates, government regulations, employee relations, taxes, political instability and terrorism as well as the results of independent demands and governmental inquiries that affect the affairs of the company. All forward-looking statements contained in this release hold true as of the date of publication. They do not represent any guarantee of future performance. Actual events and developments could differ materially from the forward-looking statements that are explicitly expressed or implied in these statements. Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH assumes no responsibility for the updating of such forward-looking statements about future developments of the sector, legal and business conditions and the company.
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