Evidence mapPaperPMID 35266409Full record

Trial reportHypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)2022

Cost-Effectiveness of Antihypertensive Deprescribing in Primary Care: a Markov Modelling Study Using Data From the OPTiMISE Trial.

Sue Jowett, Shahela Kodabuckus, Gary A Ford, F D Richard Hobbs, Mark Lown, Jonathan Mant, Rupert Payne, Richard J McManus, James P Sheppard, OPTiMISE investigators

Open access · hybridAbstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Withdrawal of antihypertensive drugs in older people.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Challenging the status quo: deprescribing antihypertensive medication in older adults in primary care.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 7 institutions in 2 countries.

Sue JowettInstitute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom (S.J., S.K.).ORCID 0000-0001-8936-3745
Shahela KodabuckusInstitute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom (S.J., S.K.).
Gary A FordOxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Oxford, United Kingdom (G.A.F.).ORCID 0000-0001-8719-4968
F D Richard HobbsNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom (F.D.R.H., R.J.M., J.P.S.).ORCID 0000-0001-7976-7172
Mark LownPrimary Care Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom (M.L.).
Jonathan MantPrimary Care Unit, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (J.M.).
Rupert PayneCentre for Academic Primary Care, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom (R.P.).ORCID 0000-0002-5842-4645
Richard J McManusNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom (F.D.R.H., R.J.M., J.P.S.).ORCID 0000-0003-3638-028X
James P SheppardNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom (F.D.R.H., R.J.M., J.P.S.).ORCID 0000-0002-4461-8756
OPTiMISE investigators
Nuffield Health · GBPrimary Health Care · QABirmingham City University · GBNIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre · GBOxford University Hospitals NHS Trust · GBUniversity of Birmingham · GBUniversity of Oxford · GB

Funding

Wellcome Trust 211182Wellcome Trust 211182/Z/18/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDeprescribing of antihypertensive medications for older patients with normal blood pressure is recommended by some clinical guidelines, where the potential harms of treatment may outweigh the benefits. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of this approach.

methodsA Markov patient-level simulation was undertaken to model the effect of withdrawing one antihypertensive compared with usual care, over a life-time horizon. Model population characteristics were estimated using data from the OPTiMISE antihypertensive deprescribing trial, and the effects of blood pressure changes on outcomes were derived from the literature. Health-related quality of life was modeled in Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) and presented as costs per QALY gained.

resultsIn the base-case analysis, medication reduction resulted in lower costs than usual care (mean difference £185), but also lower QALYs (mean difference 0.062) per patient over a life-time horizon. Usual care was cost-effective at £2975 per QALY gained (more costly, but more effective). Medication reduction resulted more heart failure and stroke/TIA events but fewer adverse events. Medication reduction may be the preferred strategy at a willingness-to-pay of £20 000/QALY, where the baseline absolute risk of serious drug-related adverse events was ≥7.7% a year (compared with 1.7% in the base-case).

conclusionsAlthough there was uncertainty around many of the assumptions underpinning this model, these findings suggest that antihypertensive medication reduction should not be attempted in many older patients with controlled systolic blood pressure. For populations at high risk of adverse effects, deprescribing may be beneficial, but a targeted approach would be required in routine practice.

Indexed as

Antihypertensive AgentsDeprescriptionsCost-Benefit AnalysisHumansPrimary Health CareQuality-Adjusted Life YearsQuality of LifeAntihypertensive Agentsagedblood pressurecardiovascular diseasesdrug-related side effects and adverse reactionshypertensionprimary health carequality of life

Identifiers

PMID35266409
PMCPMC8997697
OpenAlexW4220911221

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.