HypertensionCohort study
Impact of early or delayed anti-hypertensive medication on cardiovascular outcomes for newly detected hypertension in general health screenings: a nationwide population-based study in Korea
- Retrospective cohort study
- nationwide population-based
Authors' conclusion
Delayed consideration of medication in primary health screenings may be associated with higher risks of MI, stroke, and death.
Study context
- Population
- General health screening examinees in Korea without prior hypertension treatment, myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke
- Participants
- 505,212 participants
- Exposure
- Early vs delayed antihypertensive treatment vs normotensive
- Outcome
- MI, stroke and death
- Follow-up
- 11.34 ± 0.67 years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Each group vs normotensiveHazard ratio (CI)P value
Early treatmentMI
1.52(1.36–1.69)
Delayed treatmentMI
1.56(1.38–1.76)
P < 0.0001for trendEarly treatmentstroke
1.46(1.35–1.59)
Delayed treatmentstroke
1.58(1.43–1.74)
P < 0.0001for trendEarly treatmentdeath
1.47(1.35–1.60)
Delayed treatmentdeath
1.79(1.64–1.97)
P < 0.0001for trend- Overall incidence: death
- 6810 (1.3%)
- Overall incidence: MI
- 4666 (0.9%)
- Overall incidence: stroke
- 7274 (1.4%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Impact of early or delayed anti-hypertensive medication on cardiovascular outcomes for newly detected hypertension in general health screenings: a nationwide population-based study in Korea. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 4 July 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf403
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it