Multifaceted Intensive Blood Pressure Control Model in Older and Younger Individuals With Hypertension
Authors: Guo Xiaofan , Ouyang Nanxiang , Sun Guozhe , Zhang Naijin , Li Zhao , Zhang Xingang , Li Guangxiao , Wang Chang , Qiao Lixia , Zhou Ying , Chen Zihan , Shi Chuning , Liu Songyue , Miao Wei , Geng Danxi , Zhang Pengyu , Sun Yingxian ,   CRHCP Study Group, He Jiang , Mu Jianjun , Wang Dao Wen , Xing Liying , Ren Guocheng , Zhao Chunxia , Yang Ruihai , Chen Chung-Shiuan , Wang Jun , Ye Ning , Fan Zihao , Ye Nan , Zhang Linlin , Zhang Shu , Li Qiyu , Qin Qiying , Liu Canru , Zheng Xiaoyu , Wang Tao , Jing Li , Zhang Boqiang , Sun Qun , Yan Yu , Liao Yueyuan , Ma Qiong , Chu Chao , Sun Yue , Wang Dan , Zhou Ling , Ye Heng , Wei Haoran , Liu Hao , Sun Zhaoqing , Zheng Liqiang , Chen Yanli , Chang Ye , Jiang Mohan , Yang Hongmei , Yu Shasha , Li Wenna , Wang Ning , Wu Chunwei , Sun Lufan , Du Zhi , Li Yan , Gao Nan , Liu Xinchi , Wang Ying , Huang Mingang , Zhou Yufang , Meng Lingrui , Zhang Jiawen , Huang Zhen , Chen Huihui , Huang Yuxian , Sun Lingmin , Zhong Xin , Wang Hanmin , Hou Xinyan , Han Huan , Jin Baohui 
Published: June 2024

Importance

The sustainable effectiveness and safety of a nonphysician community health care practitioner–led intensive blood pressure intervention on cardiovascular disease have not, to the authors’ knowledge, been studied, especially in the older adult population.

Objective

To evaluate such a multifaceted model with a more stringent blood pressure treatment goal (&amp;lt;130/80 mm Hg) among patients aged 60 years and older with hypertension.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a 48-month follow-up study of the China Rural Hypertension Control Project (CRHCP), an open-cluster randomized clinical trial, conducted from 2018 to 2023. Participants 60 years and older and younger than 60 years with a diagnosis of hypertension from the CRHCP trial were included for analysis. Individuals were recruited from 326 villages in rural China.

Interventions

The well-trained, nonphysician, community health care practitioner implemented a multifaceted intervention program (eg, initiation or titration of antihypertensive medications) to achieve a blood pressure level of less than 130/80 mm Hg, supervised by primary care physicians.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Cardiovascular disease (a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure requiring hospitalization, and cardiovascular disease death).

Results

A total of 22 386 individuals 60 years and older with hypertension and 11 609 individuals younger than 60 years with hypertension were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) age of the participants was 63.0 (9.0) years and included 20 825 females (61.3%). Among the older individuals with hypertension, a total of 11 289 patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 11 097 to the usual-care group. During a median (IQR) of 4.0 (4.0-4.1) years, there was a significantly lower rate of total cardiovascular disease (1133 [2.7%] vs 1433 [3.5%] per year; hazard ratio [HR], 0.75; 95% CI, 0.69-0.81; P &amp;lt; .001) and all-cause mortality (1111 [2.5%] vs 1210 [2.8%] per year; HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.98; P = .01) in the intervention group than in the usual-care group. For patients younger than 60 years, the risk reductions were also significant for total cardiovascular disease (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.56-0.75; P &amp;lt; .001), stroke (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.55-0.76; P &amp;lt; .001), heart failure (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.87; P = .02), and cardiovascular death (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.37-0.77; P &amp;lt; .001), with all interaction P values for age groups greater than .05. In both age categories, the incidences of injurious falls, symptomatic hypotension, syncope, and the results for kidney outcomes did not differ significantly between groups.

Conclusions and Relevance

In both the aging and younger general population with hypertension, the nonphysician health care practitioner–led, multifaceted, intensive blood pressure intervention model could effectively and safely reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause death.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03527719