Modelling of blood pressure and total cardiovascular risk outcomes after second-line valsartan therapy: The BSCORE study

Background: European guidelines recommend that antihypertensive management should be graded as a function of total cardiovascular risk. Aims: To examine the multilevel (patient- and physician-level) determinants of blood pressure and residual total cardiovascular risk outcomes associated with second-line valsartan therapy. Methods: The BSCORE study was a prospective, multi-centre, pharmacoepidemiological study of the "real-world" effectiveness of second-line valsartan with or without hydrochlorothiazide. Results: A total of 3497 patients were recruited by 354 physicians. Mean age was 63.8 ± 12.0 years; 52.3% were male; 20.9% were smokers; 47.7% were dyslipidaemic; and 23.6% had diabetes. On average, reductions in blood pressure and increases in the proportions of patients with controlled blood pressure after 90 days were statistically significant (all P < 0.001). Twenty-one percent of systolic blood pressure and 25.6% of diastolic blood pressure variability at follow-up was attributable to physician-level characteristics. Significant reductions in total cardiovascular risk were observed (P < 0.001); with 12.5% of the variability in total cardiovascular risk change attributable to physician-level characteristics. Several independent determinants of blood pressure outcomes were identified, many of which are modifiable. Conclusions: Second-line valsartan therapy improves blood pressure outcomes under variable real-world conditions, and is associated with a decrease in total cardiovascular risk. Optimizing antihypertensive effectiveness, including the reduction of residual cardiovascular risk, involves managing concomitant conditions and risk factors, improving adherence, and identifying physician-level factors amenable to intervention.