Effect of verapamil on home self-measurement of blood pressure and heart rate by hypertensive patients. Verapamil-Frequency Research Group.

BACKGROUND

Achievement of a controlled blood pressure and improvement of cardiovascular risk profile are the mainstays of therapy for hypertension.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the responses of heart rate and blood pressure in hypertensive patients to 240 mg/day sustained release verapamil.

METHODS

We assessed the effect of 240 mg/day sustained released verapamil on blood pressure and heart rate, measured in the office and at home, in 1395 hypertensive outpatients with mild-to-moderate hypertension, who were using an Omron HEM 705 CP automatic device for self-measurement. The period of observation was 3 months.

RESULTS

Blood pressure decreased both in the medical office and at the patient's home, the measurements obtained at home being lower than those found in the office. Heart rate decreased in a significant and particular way. The decrease was greatest among those patients with histories of myocardial infarction and among relatively young patients, who exhibit a tendency towards higher than normal baseline heart rates. Overall, there was a shift of the heart-rate curve towards more controlled levels clustered around heart rates between 65 and 75 beats/min. Home self-measurement showed that the data gathered by the patients at home are reliable and that, when cut-off values of 140/90 mm Hg for blood pressure are used, the percentage of patients with controlled blood pressures is 62%, whereas the percentage obtained in the medical office by the physician is 56%. If cut-off values of 135/85 mm Hg are considered for self-measurements at home, according to the VI JNC recommendations, the percentage of patients with controlled blood pressures is 25.4%.