Sex differences in risk factor control of treated hypertensives: a national primary healthcare-based study in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate potential sex differences, this study aimed to investigate blood pressure and lipid control and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease in treated hypertensive (tHT) patients from primary healthcare. DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-sectional survey of tHT patients was carried out between 2002 and 2005 by 264 primary care physicians from Sweden who consecutively recruited 6537 tHT patients (48% men and 52% women) from medical records. RESULTS: tHT men more often reached the treatment goal for systolic/diastolic blood pressure, less than 140/90 mmHg, than tHT women (30 vs. 26%, P/=5.0 mmol/l than corresponding men (75 vs. 64% P<0.001). Men more often had diabetes (25 vs. 20% P<0.001), left ventricular hypertrophy (20 vs. 16% P<0.001), and microalbuminuria (24 vs. 16% P