Introduction:

High blood pressure is the main risk factor for the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.

Objective:

To identify the influence of treatment adjustment according to risk stratification on high blood pressure control.

Method:

A study was carried out including 118 hypertensive patients with moderate or high global cardiovascular risk, who were followed up every four months during one year. The variables studied were age, gender, skin color, comorbidities, obesity, smoking habit, and alcohol consumption. Creatinine, glycemia, cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, urinalysis and microalbuminuria were determined. Treatment was adjusted according to risk stratification, and admissions and decompensations in the year prior to the study and during follow-up were recorded.

Results:

Mean age was 64±13.4 years old. Females (63.4%) and white skin color (85.59%) predominated. The most frequent comorbidities were ischemic heart disease (18.4%) and heart failure (13.56), diabetes mellitus was present in 27.97%, dyslipidemias in 20.34%, smoking habit in 11.86% and obesity in 10.17% of patients. Blood pressure control improved by 20% and adherence to treatment by 26.2%. Decompensations (82.5%) and decompensated patients (25.2%) were significantly reduced (p<0.01). The drastic reduction in decompensations and better treatment compliance suggest that therapeutic adjustment according to risk stratification was effective.

Conclusions:

A history of ischemic heart disease, heart failure and diabetes mellitus were the main causes due to which hypertensive patients classified as high risk. Adjustment of treatment according to risk levels achieved a reduction in the number of decompensations and improved adherence to treatment.

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