Intensification of older adults’ outpatient blood pressure treatment at hospital discharge: national retrospective cohort study [离院时老年人门诊血压治疗的强化：全国范围的回顾性队列研究]

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BMJ 2018; 362 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k3503 (Published 12 September 2018)
Cite this as: BMJ 2018;362:k3503

Authors
Timothy S Anderson, Charlie M Wray, Bocheng Jing, Kathy Fung, Sarah Ngo, Edison Xu, Ying Shi, Michael A Steinman

Abstract
Objectives To assess how often older adults admitted to hospital for common non-cardiac conditions were discharged with intensified antihypertensive treatment, and to identify markers of appropriateness for these intensifications.

Design Retrospective cohort study.

Setting US Veterans Administration Health System.

Participants Patients aged 65 years or over with hypertension admitted to hospital with non-cardiac conditions between 2011 and 2013.

Main outcome measures Intensification of antihypertensive treatment, defined as receiving a new or higher dose antihypertensive agent at discharge compared with drugs used before admission. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were used to control for characteristics of patients and hospitals.

Results Among 14 915 older adults (median age 76, interquartile range 69-84), 9636 (65%) had well controlled outpatient blood pressure before hospital admission. Overall, 2074 (14%) patients were discharged with intensified antihypertensive treatment, more than half of whom (1082) had well controlled blood pressure before admission. After adjustment for potential confounders, elevated inpatient blood pressure was strongly associated with being discharged on intensified antihypertensive regimens. Among patients with previously well controlled outpatient blood pressure, 8% (95% confidence interval 7% to 9%) of patients without elevated inpatient blood pressure, 24% (21% to 26%) of patients with moderately elevated inpatient blood pressure, and 40% (34% to 46%) of patients with severely elevated inpatient blood pressure were discharged with intensified antihypertensive regimens. No differences were seen in rates of intensification among patients least likely to benefit from tight blood pressure control (limited life expectancy, dementia, or metastatic malignancy), nor in those most likely to benefit (history of myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, or renal disease).

Conclusions One in seven older adults admitted to hospital for common non-cardiac conditions were discharged with intensified antihypertensive treatment. More than half of intensifications occurred in patients with previously well controlled outpatient blood pressure. More attention is needed to reduce potentially harmful overtreatment of blood pressure as older adults transition from hospital to home.