16 May 2019
Media release
Australians slipping under the radar in blood pressure diagnoses
A significant number of Australians could be living with undiagnosed, untreated or uncontrolled high blood pressure, according to a new report.
The Baker Institute report, published in the Journal of Hypertension, compared standard ‘office’ measures of blood pressure with 24 hour measures of blood pressure in city and regional areas across Australia.
The study’s key findings included:
- Masked hypertension (where high blood pressure exists but is not picked up by ordinary clinic blood pressure measurements) was found in approximately 1 in 5 participants.
- Nearly half of the study group had high blood pressure but only a quarter were on medication for the condition.
- Among those who were on treatment for blood pressure, men were three times more likely than women to still have blood pressure readings that were too high.
Head of Neuropharmacology at the Baker Institute, Professor Geoff Head, said the findings highlighted the importance of 'out of office' blood pressure assessments and considerable gaps in effectively diagnosing and treating high blood pressure. “Although the common assessment of hypertension has been via clinic measurements, this technique has limitations”, said Professor Head.
Professor Head described the findings as staggering and is calling for additional measures to diagnose and treat blood pressure. “High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. These results clearly suggest we need to make changes in screening and treatment plans as soon as possible”, he said.
Professor Head is calling for a “24 hour blood pressure test” to be made available under Medicare. He said patients that couldn’t afford the more effective method of diagnoses were missing out on potentially life-saving treatment.
“The answer is two-fold. First we have to encourage GPs to diagnose high blood pressure using the most appropriate methods and the second is to make screening cheaper for those who cannot afford it”, he said. “High blood pressure in Australia is a growing issue and unfortunately one that is linked to many deadly conditions.”
For further information or to organise interviews please contact:
Tracey Ellis
T: 03 8532 1514
M: 0433 781 972
E: tracey.ellis@baker.edu.au