Trends in the prevalence of hypertension, antihypertensive therapy, and left ventricular hypertrophy from 1950 to 1989

Background Men and women with hypertension are at increased risk for cardio vascular disease, especially when left ventricular hypertrophy is present. We examined temporal trends in the use of antihypertensive medications and studied the relation between their use, the prevalence of high blood pressu re, and the presence of electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular h ypertrophy. Methods A total of 10,333 participants in the Framingham Heart Study who we re 45 to 74 years of age underwent a total of 51,756 examinations from 1950 to 1989. Data were obtained on blood pressure and the use of antihypertens ive medications, and electrocardiograms were assessed for left ventricular hypertrophy. The generalized-estimating-equation method was used to test fo r trends over time. Results From 1950 to 1989, the rate of use of antihypertensive medications increased from 2.3 percent to 24.6 percent among men and from 5.7 percent t o 27.7 percent among women. The age-adjusted prevalence of systolic blood p ressure of at least 160 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of at least 100 m m Hg declined from 18.5 percent to 9.2 percent among men and from 28.0 perc ent to 7.7 percent among women. This decline was accompanied by age-adjuste d reductions in the prevalence of electrocardiographic evidence of left ven tricular hypertrophy, from 4.5 percent to 2.5 percent among men and from 3. 6 percent to 1.1 percent among women. Conclusions Our findings support the notion that the increasing use of anti hypertensive medication has resulted in a reduced prevalence of high blood pressure and a concomitant decline in left ventricular hypertrophy in the g eneral population. Our observations may in part explain the considerable de cline in mortality from cardiovascular disease observed since the late 1960 s. (N Engl J Med 1999;340:1221-7) (C) 1999, Massachusetts Medical Society.