Physicians appreciate the fact that hypertension and stroke are strongly correlated. In the GRASP survey, 70% of physicians believe that all or most first strokes can be prevented by properly treating high blood pressure. The majority of physicians, 87%, also said they believe there is a need for improvement regarding the treatment of hypertension and its consequences."
"It is encouraging that physicians are concerned about preventing stroke in hypertensive patients," said Professor Massimo Volpe, a hypertension expert and professor of cardiology, Department of Medicine and Pathology, University of Rome. "Now we need to ensure that they also appreciate that women are just as much at risk of having a stroke as men. Therefore, women as well as men need to be evaluated and treated appropriately, using evidence-based medicine, to reduce their risk of having a stroke."
The GRASP survey
The GRASP survey was sponsored jointly by the World Heart Federation and Merck & Co., Inc. to ascertain physicians' perceptions on hypertension management.
The survey results compiled from 825 primary care physicians in eleven countries were first released at the August 2003 European Society of Cardiology Congress in Vienna, Austria.
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Contact: Helen Limbrick
helen.limbrick@shirehealthlondon.com
44-207-313-6321
Shire Hall Communications
28-Sep-2003