Although the number of antihypertensive classes used has increased, the proportion of participants with adequate blood pressure control has not. Studies carried out in the United States dominated the literature. This reflects, to an extent, the large amount of care home literature produced in the United States.28 There are well-recognized differences in the composition of the population resident in long term care between countries7 and also differences

in how doctors prescribed for long-term conditions,29 which means that there are some caveats about generalizing these findings. Four of the articles selected 5 FU for the review were located through the bibliographies of other studies. It is possible that other studies may have been missed by the electronic search and may not have been found in reference lists. Articles not in English were omitted. We are unaware of any previous systematic review looking at the treatment of hypertension in care home residents. Similarly, we are unaware of any specific guidance for the treatment of hypertension in care home residents with which to compare these findings. The increasing prevalence of hypertension seen over time may relate either to increasing awareness of hypertension and hence an increased rate of diagnosis and recording of the diagnosis,

or an increasing true prevalence of hypertension in the general population.27 The rise over time in the use

of β-blockers Selleckchem Stem Cell Compound Library was unexpected, as most guidance no longer recommends them for the treatment of hypertension and favors the use of calcium channel blockers. This could be an example of a treatment lag in this population, or that other factors, such as heart failure, are acting as confounders. However, treatment rates for hypertension in care home populations were higher than in noncare home hypertensive populations (70% vs 63%),27 which does not support the hypothesis that the treatment of this long-term condition is overlooked in care home residents. Despite the use of increasing numbers of antihypertensive agents in care home residents, there has been no improvement in the control of their blood pressure. These vulnerable people are therefore being exposed to an increased risk SPTBN5 of side effects without the intended benefit. This increase in the number of agents may well reflect the growing problem of polypharmacy, which has been extensively documented and discussed over the past few years.30 These findings justify further study of the treatment of hypertension in care homes in countries outside the United States. They also justify reexamination of whether the benefit of treatment exceeds the harm in some diagnostic groups resident in care homes, such as those with dementia in whom the risk of side effects may be particularly high.

No related posts.