The edition · Family Medicine
The 2024 ESC blood pressure categories moved half of one family practice into 'elevated'
A Turkish family health centre re-sorted its patients under the new European classification, and the share meeting treatment targets fell sharply. Also: older smokers who relapsed mostly want another try, and what continuity with one GP was linked to.
The edition in brief
In 882 adults registered at one family health centre in Izmir, applying the 2024 European Society of Cardiology blood pressure categories in place of the 2018 ESC/ESH ones placed 53.4% in the new 'elevated' group, including three-quarters of those previously below the hypertension threshold; only 17.1% were non-elevated. Among treated patients, the share at target fell from 53.5% to 30.8% under the tighter 2024 targets. The diagnostic threshold of 140/90 mmHg is unchanged. A telephone follow-up 4.6 to 9.8 years after attendance at a Turkish smoking cessation clinic reached 97 of 271 surviving adults aged 60 or over; 36% of respondents were not smoking, a figure that could lie anywhere between 13% and 77% for the whole cohort, and 81% of current smokers wanted help with another attempt. In 837 adults aged 65 or over in Berlin, longer continuity with the same GP was associated with slightly better self-rated health, a small effect after adjustment.
Four in five older smokers who had relapsed wanted help with another quit attempt
Keep offering cessation support to older smokers who have relapsed; most are willing to try again.
Longer continuity with the same GP was linked to slightly better self-rated health in older adults
Keep older patients with complex needs with the same GP where possible, recognising that this study measured only a small link with self-rated health.
One office reading does not make a blood pressure category
Confirm any new blood pressure category with properly taken repeat and out-of-office readings before acting on it.
Under the 2024 ESC categories, most patients below the hypertension threshold became 'elevated'
If your practice adopts the 2024 ESC blood pressure categories, plan for many more patients needing risk assessment and more treated patients needing intensification.
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