Prognosis in Treated Hypertension

Abstract

The aim of this study has been to demonstrate to what extent antihypertensive treatment reduces the survival gap between hypertensive and the general population. In 673 outpatients treated for arterial hypertension, the 10-year survival has been assessed by actuarial methods and compared with expected survival of a matched background populations computed from the life tablets of the Danish population. In primary hypertension WHO stage I, survival did not differ from that of the background population, a congruence which of course may be a mere chance but excludes any major difference. However, when severe organ involvement was present, as in WHO stage III and renal hypertension, treatment did not eliminate the survival gap. The survival rate did not differ between sexes or between patients with high and low body mass, but decreased with increasing age. Myocardial infarction was the most frequent single course of death, whereas stroke accounted for less than 10% of all fatalities.