Wednesday, January 28, 2004
BMJ 2004;328 (24 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7433.0-e
Hypertensive? See you every six months
Following up patients with controlled hypertension every six months will not affect blood pressure control, adherence, and patients' satisfaction. Birtwhistle and colleagues (p 204) conducted a randomised equivalence trial on 609 patients receiving medical treatment for essential hypertension, following them up every three or six months for three years. They found that control of blood pressure, patients' satisfaction, and adherence to treatment were similar, but 20% of patients in both groups had poor control of blood pressure during the study. Follow up interval may not be the most important factor in the control of hypertension by family practitioners, the authors say.
Hypertensive? See you every six months
Following up patients with controlled hypertension every six months will not affect blood pressure control, adherence, and patients' satisfaction. Birtwhistle and colleagues (p 204) conducted a randomised equivalence trial on 609 patients receiving medical treatment for essential hypertension, following them up every three or six months for three years. They found that control of blood pressure, patients' satisfaction, and adherence to treatment were similar, but 20% of patients in both groups had poor control of blood pressure during the study. Follow up interval may not be the most important factor in the control of hypertension by family practitioners, the authors say.
BMJ 2004;328 (24 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7433.0-a
Exercise training is beneficial in heart failure
Exercise training reduces mortality and hospital admission in patients with chronic heart failure. In a meta-analysis including nine trials, the ExTra MATCH Collaborative (p 189) compared exercise training with usual care in patients with chronic heart failure. The researchers found a significantly lower mortality (22% v 26%, P = 0.015) and an increased median time to hospital admission (371 v 426 days) when patients exercised. They conclude that, in patients with chronic heart failure due to ventricular dysfunction, exercise training significantly improves survival.
Exercise training is beneficial in heart failure
Exercise training reduces mortality and hospital admission in patients with chronic heart failure. In a meta-analysis including nine trials, the ExTra MATCH Collaborative (p 189) compared exercise training with usual care in patients with chronic heart failure. The researchers found a significantly lower mortality (22% v 26%, P = 0.015) and an increased median time to hospital admission (371 v 426 days) when patients exercised. They conclude that, in patients with chronic heart failure due to ventricular dysfunction, exercise training significantly improves survival.
