The impact of baseline laboratory tests on the management of new-onset hypertension in primary care: A pilot study

Background: Hypertension is a key contributor to the global cardiovascular disease burden. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) hypertension management guideline suggested baseline laboratory tests for patients with newly diagnosed hypertension but noted limited evidence in primary care contexts. This study evaluates the impact of baseline laboratory assessments on blood pressure control and comorbidities in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective study that included all patients with new-onset hypertension between January 2015 and January 2020, followed in three primary health care centers until 2022. Data collection included 8 items of paraclinical tests performed at the diagnosis of hypertension: serum sodium, potassium and creatinine, lipid panel, electrocardiogram, glucose, HbA1c and urine dipstick. Complete workup was defined as having the 8 items checked and partial workup included 1–7 items. Blood pressure was assessed at one year and the final visit, which was beyond one year, in the two workup groups. Results: Of 621 hypertensive patients, 107 with incident hypertension were analyzed (mean age: 54.8 ± 12.7 years; 58.9% women). A complete workup was done for 48 patients, partial for 52 and none for 7. Abnormalities detected included: 8.4% of patients with fasting blood glucose > 125 mg/dL, 7.5% with HbA1c > 6.5%, 1.9% with serum potassium 100 mg/dL, 35.5% with serum creatinine > 0.8 mg/dL, and 7.5% with an estimated GFR