Increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in uncontrolled hypertension across Europe: The Global Cardiometabolic Risk Profile in Patients with hypertension disease survey

Objectives: The Global Cardiometabolic Risk Profile in Patients with hypertension disease survey investigated the cardiometabolic risk profile in adult outpatients with hypertension in Europe according to the control of blood pressure (BP) as defined in the European Society of Hypertension and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESH/ESC) guidelines. Methods: Data on BP control and cardiometabolic risk factors were collected for 3370 patients with hypertension in 12 European countries. Prevalence was analyzed according to BP status and ATP III criteria for metabolic syndrome. Results: BP was controlled (BP <140/90 mmHg for nondiabetic patients; BP <130/80 mmHg for diabetic patients) in 28.1% of patients. Patients with uncontrolled BP had significantly higher mean weight, BMI, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly lower (women only) compared with patients with controlled BP (P <0.05). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes was also significantly higher in patients with uncontrolled BP compared with controlled BP (P <0.001) (metabolic syndrome: 66.5 versus 35.5%; diabetes 41.1 versus 9.8%, respectively). 95.3% of patients with both metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes had uncontrolled BP. In a multivariate analysis, diabetes and metabolic syndrome were found to be associated with a high risk of poor BP control: odds ratio, 2.56 (metabolic syndrome); 5.16 (diabetes). Conclusion: In this European study, fewer than one third of treated hypertensive patients had controlled BP. Metabolic syndrome and diabetes were important characteristics associated with poor BP control. Thus, more focus is needed on controlling hypertension in people with high cardiometabolic risk and diabetes.