Global cardiometabolic risk profile in patients with hypertension: results from the Turkish arm of the pan-European GOOD survey

OBJECTIVES
We evaluated the results of the Turkish arm of the GOOD survey which investigated the cardiometabolic risk profile and the control of blood pressure (BP) of adult hypertensive outpatients in 12 countries across Europe.

STUDY DESIGN
A total of 218 hypertensive patients (139 females, 79 males; mean age 57.2±10.9 years) from Turkey were included in this pan-European survey. Blood pressure control (defined as BP <140/90 mmHg for nondiabetics and <130/80 mmHg for diabetics) and cardiometabolic risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and atherogenic dyslipidemia were evaluated in accordance with the 2003 ESH/ESC guidelines on management of hypertension.

RESULTS
Control of BP was achieved in only 21.6% of the patients diagnosed with hypertension for a mean duration of 7.7±5.4 years. The mean systolic and diastolic BPs were 144±21 mmHg and 88±14 mmHg, respectively. The most frequent concomitant disease was type 2 diabetes mellitus (66 patients, 30.3%). Patients with diabetes had a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome compared to nondiabetics (78.8% vs. 48%, p<0.01). The absence of BP control was more pronounced among diabetics than in nondiabetics for systolic (77.3% vs. 63.8%) and diastolic (84.9% vs. 57.2%) pressures. Nearly half of the hypertensive patients had atherogenic dyslipidemia, but only 35.8% of them were treated with lipid lowering drugs.

CONCLUSION
Despite appropriate treatment, poor BP control in Turkish hypertensive patients was associated with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and undertreatment of atherogenic dyslipidemia. Therefore, more effective measures must be taken in the management of cardiovascular risk factors to improve BP control.