Herbert L. Muncie, Jr., M.D. Evaluation and Treatment of Hypertensive Patients
Feb 12, 2016
Herbert L. Muncie, Jr., M.D.
Evaluation and Treatment of Hypertensive Patients
Proper technique tomeasure Blood Pressure (JNC VII)
Sitting, back supported, arm at level of heart Feet on floor, legs uncrossed Rest at least five minutes Proper cuff size (> 80% of arm with bladder) Inflate & palpate radial pulse to approximate
BP – deflate cuff Inflate 20-30 mm above palpable systolic Measure Korotkoff I (onset sounds - systolic)
and V (disappearance sounds - diastolic)
WatchBP Office
A 58 year old African American female with three separate BP readings averaging 164/92. According to JNC VII, what is her BP classification?
Question
a) Normalb) Prehypertensionc) Stage 1 hypertensiond) Stage 2 hypertension
Classification of Blood Pressure – JNC VII
Systolic Diastolic Normal < 120 And < 80 Prehypertension 120-139 Or 80-89 Hypertension Stage 1 140-159 Or 90-99 Stage 2 > 160 Or > 100
Highest value (systolic or diastolic) determines Stage
Treat Prehypertension? It is not a disease category (JNC VII) Treatment with ARB (candesartan) for
4 years Relative risk reduction of developing Stage
1 hypertension 15.6% Patients with prehypertension are not
candidates for drug therapy (JNC VII)
Lifetime Risk For men or women who are
normotensive at age 55 or 65 and Who survive to age 80 - 85 90% will develop hypertension
Tests after Initial Diagnosis Target organ damage?
ECG Urinalysis CBC BUN & creatinine
Secondary causes? Electrolytes, calcium
Other cardiovascular risk factor? Lipid profile, glucose
Whom to consider evaluating for 2o causes
Onset of hypertension before age 30 or after age 55
Initial diastolic BP is > 110 mm Patient with unexplained hypokalemia Patient with resistant or difficult to control
BP especially if initially good control Signs of Cushing’s disease Signs or symptoms of pheochromocytoma
Pheochromocytoma Measure plasma free metanephrine
(99% sensitive, 89% specific) < 61 ng/L excludes diagnosis > 236 ng/L confirms diagnosis If 62 - 235 ng/L more testing required
24 hour urine metanephrine alone highly sensitive and specific, but often incomplete collection
Renal artery stenosis Abdominal bruit suggestive often absent If high index of suspicion & normal renal function
[Hartman 2009] MRA CTA
If high index of suspicion & diminished renal function MRA Duplex Doppler ultrasonography
Primary hyperaldosteronism Screen with plasma aldosterone/renin ratio
(cutoff > 25) β-blockers & DHCCBs stop for 2 weeks Spironolactone & loop diuretics stop for 6 weeks
Plasma aldosterone should be > 20 ng/dL to make the diagnosis (Nl – 2 – 16 ng/dL – supine) Renin – nl 12 – 79 mu/dL (supine)
Cushing Syndrome
24 hr urine free cortisol useful screening (cutoff > 90 mcg/day) Sensitivity 41 – 70% Specificity – almost 100%
Overnight dexamethasone suppression test equally sensitive, less specific 1 mg dexamethasone midnight – plasma
cortisol next morning (cutoff > 100 nmol)
What if you find a 2o Cause?
Renal artery stenosis For atherosclerotic etiology
Medical therapy is cornerstone [Dworkin 2009] Stenting no better than medical but more
complications May be helpful with recurrent CHF or pulmonary
edema For fibromuscular dysplasia – balloon
angioplasty is worthwhile
White coat hypertension
White coat hypertension Elevated office BP but normal outside office
Normal would be either 24-hour BP with mean < 125/79 or home BP < 132/82
If out of office BP consistently < 130/80 & no evidence of target organ damage
24 hour monitoring or drug therapy can be avoided (JNC VII)
Increased risk of progressing to sustained hypertension [Mancia 2009]
Masked hypertension
Masked hypertension Normal office BP but elevated outside office
Suspect if patient with normal office BP has cardiovascular event
Increased risk of cardiovascular events Pharmacotherapy is indicated
Deserves “an aggressive diagnostic & therapeutic approach” [Messerli 2007]
Mrs. Jones Mrs. Jones is a 58 year old white
female treated for hypertension for the past 6 years. Her BP today in the office is 168/94.
Which number should you focus on in deciding on modifying treatment?
a) Systolic BPb) Diastolic BP
Treatment of Patients > 50 y.o.
Patients > 50 years old achieve diastolic goal when systolic goal achieved Focus on systolic control for patients > 50
years old because: Systolic BP continues to rise with age Diastolic BP levels off around age 50 & will
remain at that level or fall after age 50
Non-pharmacologic Therapy
Weight reduction alone reduces BP Regardless of weight - DASH diet
helpful in lowering BP Increase potassium (6-8 fruits or
vegetables a day) Increase fiber with whole grains
(breads, cereals) Increase calcium intake (low fat dairy) Decrease salt (DASH-low Na)
No added salt
Non-pharmacologic Therapy
Stage 1 can be treated with lifestyle only (JNC VII) For one year if no other risk factors For 6 months with other risk factors You do not have to start medication
immediately with Stage 1 (BP < 160/100)
Patients who successfully lose 3 - 9% of their body weight with lifestyle changes can expect to see their average BP decrease how many mm?
Audience Question
a) 3b) 5c) 7d) 10
Weight loss & BP - EBM
Dieting to lose weight may lower BP in overweight people but the effects are modest & dieting may not be effective alone
Cochrane Review 18 randomized trials found weight loss of 3-9% Associated with decreases of roughly 3 mmHg
systolic & diastolic http://www.chochrane.org/reviews/en/ab000484.html
Lifestyle changes
Combining intensive lifestyle counseling & physician feedback was not successful long-term (18 month) in achieving BP control [Svetkey 2009] Some early success (6 months) faded over time
Dietary choices influence control success Salt restriction is central especially in those
requiring intensive pharmacotherapy Increase fresh fruits & vegtables Maximum 1 restaurant meal/week
A 50 yo African American male with BP 155/95 (avg.) requires initiating drug therapy. What would be your initial choice of medication class for this patient?
Question
a) Thiazide diureticb) Calcium channel blocker (CCB)c) Beta blockerd) Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE)e) Angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB)
Initial Therapy
JNC VII – a thiazide-type diuretic should be initial therapy unless compelling indication Most patients with Stage 1 will experience
better BP control & lower CVD risk when taking a thiazide-type diuretic
Most patients with Stage 2 disease will experience better BP control & lower CVD risk when taking a multidrug regimen that includes a thiazide-type diuretic
Initial Therapy
No treatment alters the natural progression of the disease
BP will continue to rise as the patient ages regardless of which medications are used
Therefore, every patient will eventually need for more than one medication to control their BP
Initial Therapy
Dr. Chobanian (Chair JNC VII) now suggests flexibility in choice of initial drug [Chobanian 2009] – he suggests Stage 1 – ACE, ARB, CCB or diuretic Stage 2 – two of those 4 drugs to start
With exception of β-blockers after an MI & CCBs effect on CVA risk, all drugs lowered CVD events for a given reduction in BP [Law 2009]
Initial Therapy
To increase drug persistence & compliance with therapy [Friedman 2010] Choose medications that will lower BP with few
complications & is taken less often Persistence is lower with more side effects Compliance is lower in males, lower SES
groups & in urban environments
A 50 yo African American male with BP 155/95 (avg.) requires initiating drug therapy. What would I choose?
Question
a) Thiazide diureticb) Calcium channel blocker (CCB)c) Beta blockerd) Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE)e) Angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB)
STITCH Therapy Simplified Treatment Intervention to
Control Hypertension (STITCH) STITCH vs Canadian Hypertension
Education Program guideline (CHEP) CHEP is similar to JNC VII approach
STITCH Treatment Initiate therapy with ½ tablet of low dose
combination - diuretic & ACEI or ARB Increase that combination to highest dose tolerated Then add CCB & increase to highest tolerated dose Then add non-first-line agents
Alpha-blocker Beta-blocker Spironolactone
STITCH Therapy At 6 months [Feldman 2009]
64.7% controlled on STITCH 52.7% controlled on CHEP (P = 0.03)
Pharmacologic Efficacy
Average reduction in BP for major classes of drugs At standard dosage - 9.1 mm (SBP)/5.5 mm
(DBP) drop With half standard dosage -
7.1 mm (SBP)/4.4 mm (DBP) When BP > 20 (SBP) or 10 mm (DBP) above
goal (Stage 2) start two medications initially
A 52 year old African American female has not achieved BP control on diuretics. You add an ACE inhibitor to the regimen. You order electrolytes, BUN and creatinine in 1 week. Her creatinine increased from 0.9 baseline to 1.14 mg/dL, a 26.7% increase. What should you do about her ACEI?
Question
a. Discontinue the ACEI & add a different classb. Reduce the ACEI dose 50% c. Reduce the ACEI dose 25%d. Make no change in the ACEI dosage
Initiating Therapy – Change in Renal Function
After initiating treatment, common to get decline in renal function If ≤ 30% non-progressive increase in creatinine
Represents a functional response (reduced intraglomerular pressure) & no change in treatment required
This response is associated with long-term renal protection
If > 30% increase in creatinine, D/C medication & choose another class
A 52 year old African American female has not achieved BP control on diuretics. You add an ACE inhibitor to the regimen. You order electrolytes, BUN and creatinine in 1 week. Her creatinine increased from 0.9 baseline to 1.14 mg/dL, a 26.7% increase. What should you do about her ACEI?
Question
a. Discontinue the ACEI & add a different classb. Reduce the ACEI dose 50% c. Reduce the ACEI dose 25%d. Make no change in the ACEI dosage
Diuretic - Classes
Thiazide Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) dosage best if
≤ 25 mg & preferably 12.5 mg Outcome benefits have not been established for
these dosages of HCTZ Increasing to 50 mg minimally lowers BP further
but significantly increases side effects Hyponatremia & hypokalemia more common in
women 12 combinations with HCTZ available
Diuretic - Classes
Thiazide Chlorthalidone 25 mg provided better 24 hr BP
control than HCTZ 50 mg Milligram for milligram twice as potent as HCTZ Outcome data available regarding reduced CV events Only 2 combinations available
Chlorthalidone/clonidine (Clorpres®) – 15/0.1,0.2, 0.3 Atenolol/chlorthalidone (Tenoretic®) – 25/50, 25/100
Diuretic - Classes
Loop If only treating hypertension - use loop
diuretics only with renal insufficiency (CrCl < 30 - 40 ml/min) Discontinue thiazides at this CrCl – not effective
Dosage frequency for BP treatment Furosemide (Lasix®) – BID
QD dosage may lead to reactive Na+ retention mediated by renin/angiotensin system
Torsemide (Demadex®) – QD
Diuretic - Classes
Potassium sparing Combined with thiazide - reduces risk
sudden death and hypokalemia Do not combine with continuous K+
supplements or give with renal insufficiency Increased risk hyperkalemia Especially with ACE or ARB combination
Should be stopped temporarily if diarrhea or vomiting occurs
Selective aldosterone receptor antagonist
Eplerenone (Inspra®) first approved in new class Primary focus in heart failure Add-on to anti-hypertensive Rx Side effects
Hyperkalemia Contraindicated with hyperkalemia, creatinine > 1.8 men,
> 2.0 women, or creatinine clearance < 50 ml Caution in use with ACE or ARB
Diuretics – diabetes & hyperlipidemia?
Diuretics can raise glucose & lipid levels short-term
However, no long-term adverse effects in diabetics
Fasting glucose increases in older adults regardless antihypertensive drug
Diuretics may be safely used in patients with diabetes or hyperlipidemia
Beta-Blockers
Available evidence does not support their use as 1st line treatment alone Weak effect in reducing CVA Absent effect on CAD [Wiysonge - Cochrane 2007] Lower heart rate with beta-blocker therapy associated
with increased risk CV events & death Compelling indications (JNC VII)
Heart failure Chronic stable angina Post MI Tachyarrhythmia
Beta-Blockers
Side effects Increased risk developing type 2 DM Decreased exercise tolerance Increased risk of Raynaud’s phenomenon Increased insomnia & risk of delirium Abrupt withdrawal can precipitate myocardial
ischemia in at risk patients
Beta-Blockers & Diabetes
In diabetics beta-blockers blunt heart rate & BP response to hypoglycemia However, no increase in severe
hypoglycemia in Type 1 or Type 2 DM Do not worsen glycemic control when used
with ACE/ARB Carvedilol (Coreg®) & nebivolol
(Bystolic®) have neutral or even favorable effect on CHO & lipid metabolism
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors
Compelling indications (JNC VII) Heart failure Post MI - systolic dysfunction Diabetics with proteinuria
Reduce cardiovascular & all-cause mortality As effectively as diuretics, β-blocker or CCB
[SOR-A] Diabetics may retain sodium
Add diuretic to enhance response
ACE Inhibitors
Side effects Cough (5-15%) - women 2x men’s risk Angioedema (0.1-0.2%) – African Americans
and Asians 3 - 4 x risk increase Hyperkalemia with renal insufficiency If patient has bilateral renal artery stenosis
Can cause renal insufficiency Measure creatinine initially & one week after
starting ACE If > 30% increase in creatinine or hyperkalemia
1st 2 months – D/C ACE
Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB)
Three trials found ARBs effective in reducing CV events (LIFE, SCOPE, VALUE) But not as effectively as ACE
Reduce the risk end-stage renal disease in diabetics No evidence reduce mortality in diabetics with
renal disease Reserve for patients who cannot tolerate ACE
Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB)
Low incidence of dizziness or other side effects Cough not a problem Caution with renal insufficiency or K+
supplements
Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB)
Less effective if high salt intake Measure serum creatinine initially & 1 week
after starting drug Can worsen renal failure Not proven to improve survival post MI ACE & ARB should not be used in
pregnancy
Combining ACE & ARB
CHARM-Added trial found combination reduced CV events & mortality in patients with heart failure
However, in patients without heart failure Combination lowered BP without CV benefit
over ACE alone (ONTARGET) But did increase hypotension, syncope & renal
dysfunction
Ca-Channel Blockers (CCB)
More effective in African Americans than diuretic or ACE as initial therapy ALLHAT – if African American cannot take
diuretic – CCB preferred initial drug Greater risk CVA, CHD, CVD, angioedema with
ACE
Combination of benazepril/amlodipine was more effective slowing progression of renal disease than benazepril/HCTZ (ACCOMPLISH trial)
Ca-Channel Blocker Risks
CCB & diuretics are associated with best stroke prevention Could be due to less visit-to-visit variability
Caution combining non-dihydropyridine CCB (diltiazem; verapamil) with beta blocker Potential additive negative inotropic effect Can cause heart failure or complete heart
block
Direct Renin Inhibitor
Aliskiren (Tekturna®) Monotherapy or combined Modestly lowers BP High fat meals decrease absorption Older hypertensive medications should be
considered 1st (Medical Letter 2007)
Alpha Adrenergic Blockers
Peripheral sympatholytics Do not produce tachycardia & palpitations Not initial drug of choice
Associated with increased risk of MI
Alpha Adrenergic Blockers
Side effects Marked hypotension especially with first dose
Careful in elderly, volume depleted patients, or in patients taking other antihypertensive drugs
Start with lowest dose at bedtime Not recommended for patients with CHF
regardless of BP status May benefit males with BPH symptoms
JNC VII Compelling Indications
Compelling Indic. Diuretic BB ACEI ARB CCB AlDO ANT
CHF X X X X X
Post MI X X X
High CAD Risk X X X X
Diabetes Mellitus X X X X X
Chronic Kidney Disease X X
Recurrent CVA Prevention X X
Treatment Goal
For most patients goal BP is < 140/90 Does a lower target (< 135/85) reduce risk? Cochrane review found lower targets did not
change mortality, MI, CVA, CHF, major cardiovascular events or ESRD [Arguedas 2009]
In the very old (> age 80) with CAD, a suggestion of increased risk of adverse outcomes with SBP < 140 & DBP < 70 [Denardo 2010]
Treatment Goal
For diabetics or patients with CKD• ADA/AHA Goal BP is < 130/80• INVEST trial of diabetics with CAD found tight
BP control did not improve CVD outcomes over usual control
Was associated with increase in all-cause mortality Emphasis should focus on maintaining SBP
between 130 – 139 mm Hg for these patients
Your 52 y.o. African American female patient with a 6 year history of hypertension comes in for a routine office visit. No symptoms. BP 142/92. No change in therapy. When would you want to see her again for follow-up?
Question
a) Two (2) weeksb) One (1) monthc) Three (3) monthsd) Six (6) months
Monitoring Treatment
No evidence based guidelines address the frequency of monitoring treatment [Keenan 2009] Monitoring at short intervals increases
probability of false positives due to within person variability
Longer intervals (years) increase probability observed increase is real
Monitoring Treatment
Chance of detecting a true increase in BP is better if: Abnormal BP is signal for repeat readings at short
intervals Using calibrated sphygmomanometer Set times to measure BP in relation to drug therapy Taking mean of several measurements Or perhaps self-monitoring
Monitoring Treatment
What is the significance of visit-to-visit (V2V) variability, maximum SBP and episodic hypertension? V2V & maximum SBP are strong predictors of
stroke, independent of mean SBP (Rothwell 2010)
Interindividual variation is reduced with CCB & non-loop diuretics but increased with ACE, ARB and β-blockers
Does not yet prove a causal link
Telemonitoring & self-titration
Using automated BP measurement with information sent to the office, patients on 2 meds without control [McManus 2010]
Having patients request additional medicine if their BP remained uncontrolled for two consecutive months resulted in lower SBP difference of 3.7 mm (95% CI 0.8 – 6.6)
Combinations of Medications Beyond studies of 2 drug combinations, little data on
the efficacy of 3 or more drugs Advice largely empiric and/or anecdotal Triple therapy amlodipine/valsartan/HCTZ (Tribenzor®)
better BP control than dual therapy [Calhoun 2009] ASCOT study found ACE & DHPCCB better than B
blocker with diuretic In reducing CV mortality In reducing new onset DM In reducing incidence of fatal & nonfatal CVA
Combination therapy
Maximal dosage of one drug increases risk of side effects
Using ½ standard dose resulted in decrease of side effects 81% for CCBs (pedal edema) 80% for thiazides (hypokalemia) 27% for beta blockers (bradycardia/fatigue) 0 % for ACE/ARB (which are not dose related)
Combination therapy
Therefore, use lower dosages of two drugs [Wald 2009] Combining drugs from 2 classes will get 5 times
greater reduction in BP than doubling one drug If appropriate consider fixed dose combinations
May improve compliance May reduce total costs
Some Combinations Everything is combined with HCTZ Amlodipine & benazepril (Lotrel®)
Slowed nephropathy more than benazepril & HCTZ [Bakris 2010]
Amlodipine & an ARB With olmesartan (Azor®) With telmisartan (Twynsta®) With valsartan (Exforge®)
Persistence? Do patients continue to take their medication?
As many as 25% of patients stop taking their medications by 6 months
Many variables influence this rate (side effects, cost, patient’s understanding, physician’s ability to explain, etc.)
One new variable is modification of dosage or drug before the end of the 1st prescription – more persistent if adjusted [Tamblyn R 2010]
Caution in Elderly
What appears as refractory BP control may be sclerotic arteries – ‘pseudo hypertension’
If radial artery palpable when brachial artery is occluded with cuff (Osler maneuver) Measure intra-arterial pressure
Hypertension and Elderly
Criteria for diagnosis unchanged due to age Treatment reduced incidence CVA, CAD,
CHF and death from all causes Treatment initially proven beneficial up to age
80 Treatment after age 80 is now proven
beneficial
Hypertension and Elderly
Aggressiveness of treatment influenced by patient's physiologic age and life expectancy Life expectancy should be at least as long as
time required to see a clinically meaningful decrease in: Stroke - 3 years CHF - 4.5 years Heart attack - 7 years
Isolated Systolic Hypertension
Treatment recommendations: Diuretics Long-acting dihydropyridine CCBs Strong evidence treatment helpful if > 160 mm
Evidence less strong for 140 - 159 mm In oldest old males (> 85 yo) higher systolic BP
associated with lower mortality
Resistant Hypertension
BP remains above goal in spite of at least 3 medications at optimal dose Ideally one of which should be a diuretic
Patients controlled on 4 or more medications should be considered resistant to treatment
Resistant Hypertension - Treatment
Restrict salt intake Increase dose of diuretic
If CrCl is below 30-50 ml/min use loop diuretic Add aldosterone antagonist
Since up to 20% - raised aldosterone/renin ratio Consider evaluating for 2o causes Future treatment?
Radiofrequency ablation renal sympathetic nerve 23 mm drop in systolic BP in 89% patients
Incidental Hypertension
Elevated BP found incidentally during visit No consensus on how to evaluate or treat in
the acute care setting VA Cooperative Trial (1967) – 143 patients with
DBP 115 -130 No adverse outcomes vs placebo initial 3 mo
Close follow-up and perhaps treatment is all that is required
Incidental Hypertension
Prospective randomized trial of 64 asymptomatic patients with DBP 116 -139 Oral clonidine load vs placebo then
maintenance oral clonidine No clinical difference in BP at 7 days
No evidence demonstrating improved morbidity or mortality with acute treatment of BP in ED
Key Points – Lessons from clinical trials
BP is the key driver of benefit from medications Drugs that deliver less effective BP control
have never produced superior clinical outcomes
The choice of initial treatment defines the initial BP response to treatment & the longer term quality of BP control usually requiring fewer add-on drugs
Patients with treated hypertension remain at higher risk of CVD
Key Points – Lessons from clinical trials
If after formal estimate of global risk, their risk of CVD is high, offer statin & ASA therapy
Treatment of pre-hypertension with lifestyle changes might prevent development of severe hypertension, target organ damage & diminish risk of dementia
What Questions do you have?