Assessing hypertension in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging

We investigated the self-report hypertension variables in the CSHA, recorded in the screening questionnaire and the Self-Administered Risk Factor (SARF) questionnaire. The two questions showed high agreement (phi coefficient 0.83). Each was modestly but significantly associated with other simultaneous reports of heart disease and stroke, and with subsequent mortality. Only the SARF asked questions about treatment; controlling for treatment effects, five-year survival was longest among those with no hypertension and no treatment (mean survival time 1,645 days; 95% CI 1,632 to 1,658), and shortest for those with no reported hypertension who were receiving "antihypertensive" medications presumably prescribed for other cardiovascular disease (mean survival time 1,496 days; 95% CI 1,457 to 1,535). The SARF questions incorporating high blood pressure and treatment appear preferable to assess the risks associated with hypertension.