Abstract
Objective: To explore trends in blood pressure (BP) control before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and Methods: Health systems participating in the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) Blood Pressure Control Laboratory Surveillance System responded to data queries, producing 9 BP control metrics. Averages of the BP control metrics (weighted by numbers of observations in each health system) were calculated and compared between two 1-year measurement periods (January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019, and January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020). Results: Among 1,770,547 hypertensive persons in 2019, BP control to <140/<90 mm Hg varied across 24 health systems (range, 46%-74%). Reduced BP control occurred in most health systems with onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; the weighted average BP control was 60.5% in 2019 and 53.3% in 2020. Reductions were also evident for BP control to <130/<80 mm Hg (29.9% in 2019 and 25.4% in 2020) and improvement in BP (reduction of 10 mm Hg in systolic BP or achievement of systolic BP <140 mm Hg; 29.7% in 2019 and 23.8% in 2020). Two BP control process metrics exhibited pandemic-associated disruption: repeat visit in 4 weeks after a visit with uncontrolled hypertension (36.7% in 2019 and 31.7% in 2020) and prescription of fixed-dose combination medications among those with 2 or more drug classes (24.6% in 2019 and 21.5% in 2020). Conclusion: BP control decreased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a corresponding reduction in follow-up health care visits among persons with uncontrolled hypertension. It is unclear whether the observed decline in BP control during the pandemic will contribute to future cardiovascular events.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 662-675 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Mayo Clinic Proceedings |
Volume | 98 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2023 |
Funding
Grant Support: This study was supported through a collaboration between the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) (contract PaCR-2017C2-8153), the American Medical Association (funding [grant K23HL136899] and in-kind support), and the American Heart Association (in-kind support). The American Medical Association and the American Heart Association are represented on the steering committee. The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the PCORI, the American Medical Association , or the American Heart Association . The funding source had no role in the study design; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data; the writing of the report; or the decision to submit the article for publication.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine