HypertensionCross-sectional study

Cardiovascular risk assessment and risk factor control in patients with hypertension in Europe: the SNAPSHOT study

Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin OutcomesPublished

  • observational, cross-sectional, epidemiological SNAPSHOT study
  • conducted in Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Romania, Serbia, and Spain

Authors' conclusion

Physicians from six European countries tended to overestimate control rates of BP and LDL cholesterol, while underestimating CV risk in their patients with hypertension. Overall, BP, LDL cholesterol, and glycated haemoglobin control rates were low. Better implementation of clinical guideline recommendations is needed.

Study context

Population
Adults with hypertension in routine clinical practicepatients (aged 65.8 ± 10.5 years, 43.1% male)
Participants
9,307 adults
Exposure
Assessment of patient cardiovascular (CV) risk by physicians relative to the risk obtained using SCORE1 and SCORE2/SCORE2-OP

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Patient characteristics

≥1 additional CV risk factor

91.3%

dyslipidaemia

7610 (81.8%)

type 2 diabetes (T2D)

3097 (33.3%)

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

Physician assessment of CV risk relative to SCORE1 and SCORE2/SCORE2-OP

accurate, relative to SCORE1
38.0
accurate, relative to SCORE2/SCORE2-OP
26.7%
underestimated, relative to SCORE1
54.3
underestimated, relative to SCORE2/SCORE2-OP
71.8%

Control rates of blood pressure (BP), LDL cholesterol, and glycated haemoglobin

BP control rate
<25%
LDL cholesterol control rate (in those with comorbid dyslipidaemia)
<12%
glycated haemoglobin control rate (in those with comorbid T2D)
<50%
  • suboptimal

Original publication

Cardiovascular risk assessment and risk factor control in patients with hypertension in Europe: the SNAPSHOT study. Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes. Published 19 January 2026. doi:10.1093/ehjqcco/qcag002

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it