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Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) including community health extension workers (CHEWs) in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria participated in a hypertension training series following the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model which leverages technology and a practical peer-to-peer learning framework to virtually train healthcare practitioners. We sought to evaluate the patient-level effects of the hypertension ECHO series., Methods: HCWs from 12 of 33 eligible primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in the Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria Program (NCT04158154) were selected to participate in a seven-part hypertension ECHO series from August 2022 to April 2023. Concurrent Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria Program patient data were used to evaluate changes in hypertension treatment and control rates, and adherence to Nigeria's hypertension treatment protocol. Outcomes were compared between the 12 PHCs in the ECHO program and the 21 which were not., Results: Between July 2022 and June 2023, 16,691 PHC visits were documented among 4340 individuals (ECHO: n = 1428 [33%], non-ECHO: n = 2912 [67%]). Patients were on average (SD) 51.5 (12.0) years old, and one-third were male (n = 1372, 32%) with no differences between cohorts in either characteristic (p ≥ 0.05 for both). Blood pressures at enrollment were higher in the ECHO cohort compared to the non-ECHO cohort (systolic p < 0.0001 and diastolic p = 0.0001), and patients were less likely to be treated with multiple medications (p < 0.0001). Treatment rates were similar at baseline (ECHO: 94.0% and Non-ECHO: 94.7%) and increased at a higher rate (interaction p = 0.045) in the ECHO cohort over time. After adjustment for baseline and within site variation, the difference was attenuated (interaction p = 0.37). Over time, control rates increased and medication protocol adherence decreased, with no differences between cohorts. Staffing levels, adult patient visits, and rates of hypertension screening and empanelment were similar between ECHO and non-ECHO cohorts (p ≥ 0.05 for all)., Conclusions: The ECHO series was associated with moderately increased hypertension treatment rates and did not adversely affect staffing or clinical capacity among PHCs in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. These results may be used to inform strategies to support scaling hypertension education among frontline HCWs throughout Nigeria, and use of the ECHO model for CHEWs., Trial Registration: The Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria Program was prospectively registered on November 8, 2019 at www., Clinicaltrials: gov (NCT04158154; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04158154 )., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Importance: The high prevalence of hypertension calls for broad, multisector responses that foster prevention and care services, with the goal of leveraging high-quality treatment as a means of reducing hypertension incidence. Health care system improvements require stakeholder input from across the care continuum to identify gaps and inform interventions that improve hypertension care service, delivery, and retention; system dynamics modeling offers a participatory research approach through which stakeholders learn about system complexity and ways to model sustainable system-level improvements., Objective: To assess the association of simulated interventions with hypertension care retention rates in the Nigerian primary health care system using system dynamics modeling., Design, Setting, and Participants: This decision analytical model used a participatory research approach involving stakeholder workshops conducted in July and October 2022 to gather insights and inform the development of a system dynamics model designed to simulate the association of various interventions with retention in hypertension care. The study focused on the primary health care system in Nigeria, engaging stakeholders from various sectors involved in hypertension care, including patients, community health extension workers, nurses, pharmacists, researchers, administrators, policymakers, and physicians., Exposure: Simulated intervention packages., Main Outcomes and Measures: Retention rate in hypertension care at 12, 24, and 36 months, modeled to estimate the effectiveness of the interventions., Results: A total of 16 stakeholders participated in the workshops (mean [SD] age, 46.5 [8.6] years; 9 [56.3%] male). Training of health care workers was estimated to be the most effective single implementation strategy for improving retention in hypertension care in Nigeria, with estimated retention rates of 29.7% (95% CI, 27.8%-31.2%) at 12 months and 27.1% (95% CI, 26.0%-28.3%) at 24 months. Integrated intervention packages were associated with the greatest improvements in hypertension care retention overall, with modeled retention rates of 72.4% (95% CI, 68.4%-76.4%), 68.1% (95% CI, 64.5%-71.7%), and 67.1% (95% CI, 64.5%-71.1%) at 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively., Conclusions and Relevance: This decision analytical model study showed that community-based participatory research could be used to estimate the potential effectiveness of interventions for improving retention in hypertension care. Integrated intervention packages may be the most promising strategies.

New approaches are needed to lower blood pressure (BP) given persistently low control rates. QUARTET USA sought to evaluate the effect of four-drug, quarter-dose BP lowering combination in patients with hypertension. QUARTET USA was a randomized (1:1), double-blinded trial conducted in federally qualified health centers among adults with hypertension. Participants received either a quadpill of candesartan 2 mg, amlodipine 1.25 mg, indapamide 0.625 mg, and bisoprolol 2.5 mg or candesartan 8 mg for 12 weeks. If BP was >130/>80 mm Hg at 6 weeks in either arm, then participants received open label add-on amlodipine 5 mg. The primary outcome was mean change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) at 12 weeks, controlling for baseline BP. Secondary outcomes included mean change in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and safety included serious adverse events, relevant adverse drug effects, and electrolyte abnormalities. Among 62 participants randomized between August 2019-May 2022 (n = 32 intervention, n = 30 control), mean (SD) age was 52 (11.5) years, 45% were female, 73% identified as Hispanic, and 18% identified as Black. Baseline mean (SD) SBP was 138.1 (11.2) mmHg, and baseline mean (SD) DBP was 84.3 (10.5) mmHg. In a modified intention-to-treat analysis, there was no significant difference in SBP (-4.8 mm Hg [95% CI: -10.8, 1.3, p = 0.123] and a -4.9 mmHg (95% CI: -8.6, -1.3, p = 0.009) greater mean DBP change in the intervention arm compared with the control arm at 12 weeks. Adverse events did not differ significantly between arms. The quadpill had a similar SBP and greater DBP lowering effect compared with candesartan 8 mg. Trial registration number: NCT03640312., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: This convergent parallel-design mixed-methods process evaluation of the QUARTET USA (Quadruple Ultra-Low-Dose Treatment for Hypertension USA) clinical trial (NCT03640312) explores patient and health care professional perceptions about the use of low-dose quadruple therapy (LDQT) as a novel strategy for hypertension management., Methods and Results: A survey of all 62 patients enrolled in the QUARTET USA trial was conducted. A subsample of 13 patients and 11 health care professionals, recruited via purposive sampling, took part in semistructured interviews. At enrollment, 68% of participants (mean [SD] age, 51.7 [11.5] years; 56% self-identified as Hispanic: Mexican ethnicity, 16% as Hispanic: other ethnicity, 16% as Black race, 8% as White race, and 1.6% as South Asian race) reported that their current health depended on blood pressure medications, and 48% were concerned about blood pressure medications. At trial completion, 80% were satisfied with LDQT, 96% were certain the benefits of taking LDQT outweighed the disadvantages, and 96% reported that LDQT was convenient to take. Both patients and health care professionals found LDQT acceptable because it reduced patients' perceived pill burden and facilitated medication adherence. Health care professionals stated that a perceived limitation of LDQT was the inability to titrate doses. Steps to facilitate LDQT implementation include introducing stepped-care combinations and treatment protocols, inclusion in clinical practice guidelines, and eliminating patient cost barriers., Conclusions: LDQT was an acceptable strategy for hypertension treatment among patients and health care professionals involved in the QUARTET USA clinical trial. Although LDQT was generally perceived as beneficial for maintaining patients' blood pressure control and facilitating adherence, some clinicians perceived limitations in titration inflexibility, adverse effects, and costs., Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03640312.

Background: The Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) model has been used extensively to link care providers in rural communities with experts with the aim of improving local patient care., Objective: The aim of this qualitative research study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, perceived needs, and contextual factors to guide implementation of a hypertension focused ECHO program for Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria., Methods: From September 2020 to December 2020, key informant interviews were performed with seven global organizations (hubs) providing ECHO training focused on cardiovascular disease or nephrology to identify contextual factors and implementation strategies used by each hub. In February 2022, seven focus group discussions were performed with 42 frontline healthcare workers in the Federal Capital Territory to inform local adaptation of a hypertension ECHO program. Directed content analysis identified major themes which were mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Qualitative analyses were performed using Dedoose, and results were synthesized using the Implementation Research Logic Model., Results: We found both barriers and facilitators across the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research domains that mapped to a number of constructs in each one. The results of these analyses confirmed that the core components of the ECHO model are a feasible and appropriate intervention for hypertension education of healthcare workers. However, implementing the ECHO program within the Federal Capital Territory may require strategies such as utilizing communications resources effectively, developing incentives to motivate initial participation, and providing rewards or recognition for ongoing engagement., Conclusions: These results provide valuable formative insights to guide implementation of our proposed hypertension ECHO program for CHEWs in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. This information was used for key decisions around: 1) scope and content of training, 2) format and frequency, 3) selection of implementation strategies, and 4) building a community of practice., Competing Interests: MDH has received travel support from the American Heart Association and World Heart Federation. MDH has an appointment at The George Institute for Global Health, which has a patent license and has received investment funding with intent to commercialize fixed-dose combination therapy through its social enterprise business, George Medicines. MDH has pending patents for heart failure polypills., (Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s).)

Introduction: Asian American subgroups experience heterogeneity in cardiovascular disease, but differences in hypertension-related cardiovascular disease mortality between Asian American subgroups is not known., Methods: Among 1,194,648 deaths in the United States in 2018-2021 with cardiovascular disease as an underlying cause and hypertension-related diseases as contributing cause, sex-specific age-standardized mortality rates, proportional mortality, and proportional mortality ratios for non-Hispanic Asian and Asian subgroups, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black individuals were compared with non-Hispanic White individuals. The analysis was conducted in August 2022., Results: There were 37,746; 95,404; 193,899; and 867,599 hypertension-related cardiovascular disease deaths in non-Hispanic Asian; Hispanic; non-Hispanic Black; and non-Hispanic White groups, respectively. Among non-Hispanic Asian females, mortality rates ranged from 41.6 (95% CI 40.0-43.3) per 100,000 population in Japanese to 52.6 (51.0-54.2) per 100,000 in Filipina individuals. Among non-Hispanic Asian males, mortality rates ranged from 45.8 (43.3-48.2) per 100,000 in Korean to 81.0 (78.5-83.5) per 100,000 in Filipino individuals. Proportional mortality was higher for all Asian American subgroups compared to non-Hispanic White individuals. Proportional mortality ratios ranged from 1.11 (in Korean males, proportional mortality was 10.2% [95% CI 9.7-10.8] of all deaths) to 1.38 (in Filipino males, proportional mortality was 12.7% [12.4-13.1] of all deaths; in Chinese females, proportional mortality was 11.9% [11.6-12.3]; and in Filipina females, proportional mortality was 11.9% [12.3-13.0])., Conclusions: There was up to two-fold variation in hypertension-related cardiovascular disease mortality among Asian American subgroups. All subgroups experienced higher proportional mortality for hypertension-related cardiovascular disease compared with non-Hispanic White individuals., (Copyright © 2023 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy is recommended for hypertension management in Nigeria based on randomized trials at the individual level. This cluster-randomized trial evaluates effectiveness and safety of a treatment protocol that used two-drug FDC therapy as the second and third steps for hypertension control compared with a protocol that used free pill combinations. From January 2021 to June 2021, 60 primary healthcare centers in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria were randomized to a protocol using FDC therapy as second and third steps compared with a protocol that used the same medications in free pill combination therapy for these steps. Eligible patients were adults (≥18 years) with hypertension. The primary outcome was the odds of a patient being controlled at their last visit between baseline to 6-month follow-up in the FDC group compared to the free pill group. 4427 patients (mean [SD] age: 49.0 [12.4] years, 70.5% female) were registered with mean (SD) baseline systolic/diastolic blood pressure 155 (20.6)/96 (13.1) mm Hg. Baseline characteristics of groups were similar. After 6-months, hypertension control rate improved in the two treatment protocols, but there were no differences between the groups after adjustment (FDC = 53.9% versus free pill combination = 47.9%, cluster-adjusted p = .29). Adverse events were similarly low (<1%) in both groups. Both protocols improved hypertension control rates at 6-months in comparison to baseline, though no differences were observed between groups. Further work is needed to determine if upfront FDC therapy is more effective and efficient to improve hypertension control rates., (© 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Over half of patients with elevated blood pressure require multi-drug treatment to achieve blood pressure control. However, multi-drug treatment may lead to lower adherence and more adverse drug effects compared with monotherapy., Objective: The Quadruple Ultra-low-dose Treatment for Hypertension (QUARTET) USA trial was designed to evaluate whether initiating treatment with ultra-low-dose quadruple-combination therapy will lower office blood pressure more effectively, and with fewer side effects, compared with initiating standard dose monotherapy in treatment naive patients with SBP < 180 and DBP < 110 mm Hg and patients on monotherapy with SBP < 160 and DBP < 100 mm Hg., Methods/design: QUARTET USA was a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03640312) conducted in federally qualified health centers in a large city in the US. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either ultra-low-dose quadruple combination therapy or standard dose monotherapy. The primary outcome was mean change from baseline in office systolic blood pressure at 12-weeks, adjusted for baseline values. Secondary outcomes included measures of blood pressure change and variability, medication adherence, and health related quality of life. Safety outcomes included occurrence of serious adverse events, relevant adverse drug effects, and electrolyte abnormalities. A process evaluation aimed to understand provider experiences of implementation and participant experiences around side effects, adherence, and trust with clinical care., Discussion: QUARTET USA was designed to evaluate whether a novel approach to blood pressure control would lower office blood pressure more effectively, and with fewer side effects, compared with standard dose monotherapy. QUARTET USA was conducted within a network of federally qualified healthcare centers with the aim of generating information on the safety and efficacy of ultra-low-dose quadruple-combination therapy in diverse groups that experience a high burden of hypertension., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: More than 1.2 billion adults worldwide have hypertension. High retention in clinical care is essential for long-term management of hypertension, but 1-year retention rates are less than 50% in many resource-limited settings., Objective: To evaluate short-term retention rates and associated factors among patients with hypertension in primary health care centers in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria., Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, data were collected by trained study staff from adults aged 18 years or older at 60 public, primary health care centers in Nigeria between January 2020 and July 2021 as part of the Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria (HTN) Program. Patients with hypertension were registered., Exposures: Follow-up visit for hypertension care within 37 days of the registration visit., Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the 3-month rolling average 37-day retention rate in hypertension care, calculated by dividing the number of patients who had a follow-up visit within 37 days of their first (ie, registration) visit in the program by the total number of registered patients with hypertension during multiple consecutive 3-month periods. Interrupted time series analyses evaluated trends in retention rates before and after the intervention phase of the HTN Program. Mixed-effects, multivariable regression models evaluated associations between patient-, site-, and area council-level factors, hypertension treatment and control status, and 37-day retention rate., Results: In total, 10 686 patients (68.3% female; mean [SD] age, 48.8 [12.7] years) were included in the analysis. During the study period, the 3-month rolling average 37-day retention rate was 41% (95% CI, 37%-46%), with wide variability among sites. The retention rate was higher among patients who were older (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.01 per year; 95% CI, 1.01-1.02 per year), were female (aOR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.23), had a higher body mass index (aOR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02), were in the Kuje vs the Abaji area council (aOR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.25-4.04), received hypertension treatment at the registration visit (aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.07-1.50), and were registered during the postintervention period (aOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06-1.26)., Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that retention in hypertension care is suboptimal in primary health care centers in Nigeria, although large variability among sites was found. Potentially modifiable and nonmodifiable factors associated with retention were identified and may inform multilevel, contextualized implementation strategies to improve retention.

Background: There are limited data on large-scale, multilevel implementation research studies to improve hypertension diagnosis, treatment, and control rates at the primary healthcare (PHC) level in Africa. We describe the characteristics, treatment, and control rates of patients with hypertension in public PHC centers in the Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria Program., Methods: Data were collected from adults at least 18 years at 60 public PHC centers between January 2020 and November 2020. Hypertension treatment rates were calculated at registration and upon completion of the initial visit. Hypertension control rates were calculated based on SBP and DBPs less than 140/90 mmHg. Regression models were created to evaluate factors associated with hypertension treatment and control status., Results: Four thousand, nine hundred and twenty-seven individuals [66.7% women, mean (SD) age = 48.2 (12.9) years] were included. Mean (SD) SBP was higher in men compared with women [152.9 (20.0) mmHg versus 150.8 (21) mmHg, P = 0.001]. Most (58.3%) patients were on treatment at the time of registration, and by the end of the baseline visit, 89.2% of patients were on treatment. The baseline hypertension control rate was 13.1%, and control was more common among patients who were older [adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.01 [1.01 -1.02)], women [adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.30 (1.05- 1.62)], who used fixed dose combination therapy [adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.83 (1.49 -2.26)], and had higher education levels., Conclusion: This baseline report of the largest facility-based hypertension study in Africa demonstrates high hypertension treatment rates but low control rates., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Nigeria faces an increase in the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), leading to an estimated 29% of all deaths in the country. Nigeria has an estimated hypertension prevalence ranging from 25 to 40% of her adult population. Despite this high burden, awareness (14-30%), treatment (< 20%), and control (9%) rates of hypertension are low in Nigeria. Against this backdrop, we sought to perform capacity and readiness assessments of public Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) to inform Nigeria's system-level hypertension control program's implementation and adaptation strategies., Methods: The study employed a multi-stage sampling to select 60 from the 243 PHCs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria. The World Health Organization (WHO) Service Availability and Readiness Assessment was adapted to focus on hypertension diagnosis and treatment and was administered to PHC staff from May 2019 - October 2019. Indicator scores for general and cardiovascular service readiness were calculated based on the proportion of sites with available amenities, equipment, diagnostic tests, and medications., Results: Median (interquartile range [IQR]) number of full-time staff was 5 (3-8), and were predominantly community health extension workers (median = 3 [IQR 2-5]). Few sites (n = 8; 15%) received cardiovascular disease diagnosis and management training within the previous 2 years, though most had sufficient capacity for screening (n = 58; 97%), diagnosis (n = 56; 93%), and confirmation (n = 50; 83%) of hypertension. Few PHCs had guidelines (n = 7; 13%), treatment algorithms (n = 3; 5%), or information materials (n = 1; 2%) for hypertension. Most sites (n = 55; 92%) had one or more functional blood pressure apparatus. All sites relied on paper records, and few had a functional computer (n = 10; 17%) or access to internet (n = 5; 8%). Despite inclusion on Nigeria's essential medicines list, 35 (59%) PHCs had zero 30-day treatment regimens of any blood pressure-lowering medications in stock., Conclusions: This first systematic assessment of capacity and readiness for a system-level hypertension control program within the FCT of Nigeria demonstrated implementation feasibility based on the workforce, equipment, and paper-based information systems, but a critical need for essential medicine supply strengthening, health-worker training, and protocols for hypertension treatment and control in Nigeria.

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for global disease burden. Self-management of high blood pressure (BP) through self-monitoring and self-titration of medications, has proved to be one successful and cost-effective tool to achieve better BP control in many high-income countries but not much is known about its potential in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used semi-structured questionnaires and focus groups in three LMICs; Peru, Cameroon and Malawi to examine perceptions and attitudes of patients diagnosed with essential hypertension towards living with hypertension, BP measurement and treatment, patient-physician relationship and opinions about self-management of high blood pressure. Results in all three countries were comparable. Patients showed varied levels of health literacy related to hypertension. BP measurement habits were mostly affected by resources available and caregiver support. Treatment and adherence to it were primarily affected by cost. Most patients were welcoming of the idea of self-management but skeptical about the ability to do self-monitoring accurately and the safety involving self-titration of medications., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

South Asians have a high burden of cardiovascular disease compared to other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Little has been done to evaluate how neighborhood environments may influence cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension and type 2 diabetes in this immigrant population. We evaluated the association of perceived neighborhood social cohesion with hypertension and type 2 diabetes among 906 South Asian adults who participated in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America Study. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and physiologic covariates. Subgroup analyses examined whether associations differed by gender. South Asian women living in neighborhoods with high social cohesion had 46 % reduced odds of having hypertension than those living in neighborhoods with low social cohesion (OR 0.54, 95 % CI 0.30-0.99). Future research should determine if leveraging neighborhood social cohesion prevents hypertension in South Asian women.

Background: The association of acculturation and cardiovascular risk factor control among populations with high proportions of immigrants has not been well studied., Methods: We studied 1,492 Hispanic participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and/or diabetes. We used linear regression to examine the cross-sectional relationships between acculturation measures and cardiovascular risk factor levels. Outcome measures included systolic blood pressure (mm Hg), fasting low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (mg/dL), and fasting blood glucose (mg/dL). Covariates included education, income, health insurance, physical activity, dietary factors, risk factor-specific medication use, duration of medication use, smoking, and body mass index., Results: There were 580 Hispanics with hypertension, 539 with hypercholesterolemia, and 248 with diabetes. After adjustment for age and gender, Spanish-speaking Hispanics with cardiovascular risk factors had higher systolic blood pressure, fasting LDL cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose compared to English-speaking Hispanics. Differences in systolic blood pressure were accounted for mainly by education, whereas differences in LDL cholesterol were almost entirely accounted for by cholesterol-lowering medication use. Differences in fasting glucose were partly accounted for by socioeconomic variables but were augmented after adjustment for dietary factors. Similar associations were observed between proportion of life in the United States and risk factor levels., Conclusions: Among those with cardiovascular risk factors, Hispanics who spoke Spanish at home and lived less time in the United States had worse control of cardiovascular risk factors. Treatment strategies that focus on Hispanics with low levels of acculturation may improve cardiovascular risk factor control.