Aggressively managing key risk factors associated with hypertension could considerably lower the risk of early mortality, according to a recent study. High blood pressure, affecting more than a third of adults globally, remains a leading contributor to premature death from cardiovascular diseases and other chronic conditions.

The Study’s Key Findings

• Reduced Mortality: Patients with hypertension who effectively managed associated health factors experienced lower mortality rates.
• Comparable lifespan: Those who controlled these health problems well were not more susceptible to early death compared to individuals without hypertension.
• Multifaceted Approach: The study underscores the importance of addressing multiple risk factors together, rather than focusing solely on blood pressure.

details of the Research

Researchers from the University of Toulin in the U.S. and the University of Central South in China conducted the study, which was published in the journal “Precision Clinical Medicine.” The research team analyzed data from approximately 71,000 participants with hypertension, identifying eight modifiable factors.

These factors included:

• Blood pressure
• Body mass index (BMI)
• Waist circumference
• Harmful cholesterol levels
• Cumulative blood sugar levels
• Albumin in the urine
• Smoking status
• Physical activity

Participants were categorized into groups based on the number of well-controlled factors.

Impact of Controlling Risk Factors

The study followed participants for an average of 14 years. Results indicated that those who controlled the most factors had a significantly lower risk of death.

• Overall Mortality: controlling all eight factors reduced the risk of death from all causes by 40%.
• Cancer-Related Deaths: A 39% reduction in deaths related to cancer was observed.
• Cardiovascular Disease: the risk of death from cardiovascular disease decreased by 53%.
• Other Causes: Deaths from other causes saw a 29% reduction.

Notably, individuals with hypertension who controlled at least four factors had a similar risk of early death compared to those without the condition.

The Importance of Integrated Care

The findings support a shift toward comprehensive therapeutic strategies for hypertension. Medical guidelines and health policies should promote integrated care that addresses not only blood pressure but also weight, blood sugar, cholesterol, kidney function, smoking cessation, and exercise.

Public health initiatives should focus on educating patients and providing the necessary resources to achieve these goals. Further research is needed to determine the most effective ways to implement these strategies across diverse health systems and populations.

Challenges in Managing Hypertension

Despite the availability of effective treatments for lowering blood pressure, many patients continue to face meaningful health risks due to the mismanagement of exacerbating factors such as obesity, high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and physical inactivity.While previous studies have examined the impact of these factors individually, research on the cumulative effect of controlling them simultaneously has been limited.