Table 3.

Cardiovascular, renal, and mortality outcomes of hypertension by number of medication classes. Cox models were adjusted for age, sex, obesity, diabetes, and hypercholesterolaemia. Apparent treatment-resistant hypertension includes individuals maximally on at four or more medication classes

Medication classes	Cardiovascular outcomesa	Coronary heart disease	Heart failure	Ischaemic stroke	Haemorrhagic stroke	Renal failure	Death	Cardiac death
2	0.97 (0.92–1.02)	0.95 (0.89–1.01)	1.06 (0.97–1.15)	1.00 (0.91–1.09)	1.02 (0.84–1.24)	1.25 (1.13–1.38)	1.14 (1.04–1.25)	1.19 (1.04–1.35)
3	1.04 (0.97–1.11)	1.00 (0.92–1.08)	1.18 (1.07–1.30)	1.13 (1.01–1.25)	1.06 (0.84–1.34)	1.77 (1.59–1.97)	1.42 (1.28–1.58)	1.62 (1.40–1.88)
4	1.07 (0.97–1.17)	1.07 (0.96–1.19)	1.46 (1.28–1.67)	1.18 (1.01–1.37)	1.38 (0.99–1.91)	2.36 (2.06–2.71)	1.69 (1.46–1.69)	1.71 (1.39–2.10)
5+	1.37 (1.11–1.69)	1.35 (1.07–1.71)	1.17 (0.82–1.66)	1.27 (0.88–1.84)	1.86 (0.91–3.79)	2.50 (1.86–3.35)	1.90 (1.37–2.62)	1.53 (0.94–2.50)
Continuous addition of each new medication class	1.03 (1.00–1.05)	1.02 (0.99–1.05)	1.10 (1.06–1.14)	1.06 (1.02–1.10)	1.09 (0.99–1.19)	1.32 (1.27–1.37)	1.19 (1.14–1.24)	1.21 (1.15–1.28)
Apparent treatment-resistant hypertension	1.10 (1.00–1.21)	1.10 (0.99–1.23)	1.42 (1.24–1.63)	1.21 (1.03–1.41)	1.49 (1.08–2.05)	2.30 (2.00–2.65)	1.76 (1.52–2.04)	1.79 (1.45–2.21)

Cardiovascular outcomes represents a composite of coronary heart disease, ischaemic stroke, and haemorrhagic stroke.