European Survey Highlights the Risk to Patients Caused by Inconsistency in Hypertension Management
By Daiichi Sankyo, PRNEThursday, July 7, 2011
MUNICH, July 8, 2011 -
For distribution to consumer and medical media
- Findings From the Supporting Hypertension Awareness and
Research Europe-wide (SHARE) Survey Suggest the Need to Implement a
Consistent Strategy to Improve and Maintain Blood Pressure
Control
Physicians’ treatment approaches to hypertension management are
inconsistent[1] despite ESH-ESC (European Society of
Hypertension and European Society of Cardiology) arterial
hypertension guidelines[2], which could put patients
with elevated blood pressure at risk, according to findings
published recently in the Journal of
Hypertension.[1] This inconsistency in
adherence to the guidelines amongst physicians is one of the
contributing factors to the substantial health and economic burden
associated with uncontrolled blood pressure across
Europe.[1]
Hypertension causes 7.6 million premature deaths worldwide and
as many as 1 billion people may have uncontrolled hypertension
worldwide.[3,4] If left untreated, hypertension
may lead to serious cardiovascular health complications such as
heart attack or stroke.[5] Uncontrolled
hypertension is therefore a significant contributor to healthcare
spending across Europe as the annual cardiovascular health bill in
the EU is in excess of €190 billion.[6]
The Supporting Hypertension Awareness and Research Europe-wide
(SHARE) survey sought the views of 2629 physicians from primary and
secondary care around Europe and forms part of HypertensionCare, a
commitment from Daiichi
Sankyo to providing increased knowledge and insight to
physicians across Europe. The survey found 82% of physicians
believe that ESH-ESC guideline blood pressure targets of 140/90
mmHg are ‘about right’ or ‘not tight enough’.[1]
However, findings from the survey indicated that physicians only
found cause for concern when patients average blood pressure was
149/92 mmHg, which is higher than guideline targets. Furthermore,
of those physicians surveyed, blood pressure levels needed to reach
an average of 168/100 mmHg before they felt compelled to take
immediate action. Over 90% of physicians said they would not take
action until their patients’ systolic or diastolic blood pressure
was higher than the guideline recommended levels.[1]
“All patients with a blood pressure over 140/90mmHg need to be
carefully managed to bring their blood pressure down and reduce
their cardiovascular risk. By delaying treatment or settling for
blood pressure over this target, physicians are leaving patients at
a potentially higher risk of cardiovascular events,” said Professor
Roland Schmieder, Professor of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and
Hypertension and Head of the Clinical Research Competence Unit of
Hypertension and Vascular Medicine at the University Hospital
Erlangen, Germany and member of the SHARE Steering Committee.
”As physicians we typically assume that a patient not
reaching blood pressure goal is down to the patient’s lack of
compliance or adherence to treatment, but this survey clearly shows
that as physicians we can also do more to help all our patients
reach blood pressure goal.”
Understanding the challenges of getting more hypertensive
patients to blood pressure goal is a key objective of the SHARE
survey, a collaborative initiative driven by European leaders in
hypertension with the support of
like these enable Daiichi
Sankyo to develop simple and effective solutions through
HypertensionCare to help physicians tackle the day to day
challenges of hypertension management.
References
[1] Redon, J et al. Journal of Hypertension.
Physician attitudes to blood pressure control: Finding from the
Supporting Hypertension Awareness and Research Europe-wide (SHARE)
survey. Journal of Hypertension 2011; 29; E-pub ahead of
print. 000-000 DOI:10.1097/HJH.0b013e328348c934
[2] Mancia G et al. Reappraisal of European
guidelines on hypertension management: a European Society of
Hypertension Task Force document. Journal of Hypertension
2009; 27:2121-2158
[3] Lawes, C. M., Vander Hoorn, S. & Rodgers, A.
Global burden of blood-pressure-related disease, 2001.
Lancet 2008; 371(9623):1513-18.
[4] Gupta et al. Compliance, Safety, and
Effectiveness of Fixed-Dose Combinations of Antihypertensive
Agents. A Meta-Analysis.Hypertension 2010; 55:399.
[5] Chalmers, J et al. 1999 World Health
Organization-International Society of Hypertension Guidelines for
the management of hypertension. Guidelines sub-committee of
the World Health Organization. Clin Exp Hypertens
1999; 21(5-6):1009-60.
[6] Allender, S et al. European cardiovascular
disease statistics, European Heart Network. Available at:
(accessed February 2011).
About Daiichi
Sankyo
The Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply
of innovative pharmaceutical products to address the diversified,
unmet medical needs of patients in both mature and emerging
markets. While maintaining its portfolio of marketed
pharmaceuticals for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and bacterial
infections, the Group is engaged in the development of treatments
for thrombotic disorders and focused on the discovery of novel
oncology and cardiovascular-metabolic therapies. Furthermore, the
Daiichi Sankyo Group has created a “Hybrid Business Model”, which
will respond to market and customer diversity and optimize growth
opportunities across the value chain.
The company’s world headquarters is in Tokyo. Its European base is
located in Munich. Daiichi Sankyo Europe has affiliates in 12
European countries in addition to a global manufacturing site
located in Pfaffenhofen, Germany. For more information, please
visit: www.daiichisankyo.com or
www.daiichi-sankyo.eu
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and
information about future developments in the sector, and the legal
and business conditions of Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH. Such
forward-looking statements are uncertain and are subject at all
times to the risks of change, particularly to the usual risks faced
by a global pharmaceutical company, including the impact of the
prices for products and raw materials, medication safety, changes
in exchange rates, government regulations, employee relations,
taxes, political instability and terrorism as well as the results
of independent demands and governmental inquiries that affect the
affairs of the company. All forward-looking statements contained in
this release hold true as of the date of publication. They do not
represent any guarantee of future performance. Actual events and
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statements. Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH assumes no responsibility
for the updating of such forward-looking statements about future
developments of the sector, legal and business conditions and the
company.
Contact: Product Communications, Federico Maiardi, European Product PR Manager , Phone +49-(0)89-78-08-379, federico.maiardi at daiichi-sankyo.eu. Medical & Scientific Affairs, Joris Versteden, Director Medical and Scientific Affairs, Phone +49(0)89-78-08-497, joris.versteden at daiichi-sankyo.eu
Tags: Daiichi-Sankyo, Germany, July 8, Munich
