A Method to Quantify Mean Hypertension Treatment Daily Dose Intensity Using Health Care System Data

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Abstract
The current approach to assess the quality of hypertension treatment in health care systems remains limited to dichotomous measures of blood pressure (BP) (ie, percentage of patients with a BP controlled below target) regardless of the recommended number and doses of medications. However, there is increasing evidence that intensifying treatment is associated with clinical benefit for older adults, either by increasing doses and starting new agents1-5 or by prescribing specific medication classes for their noncardiovascular benefits (eg, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for kidney protection).6 As our health care system responds by developing new guidelines and measures to promote lower BP goals, we need more refined tools to guide safe approaches to treatment intensification for older adults.

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