Table 1.
Characteristics of Kaiser Permanente Northern California Enrollees Newly Initiated on Antihypertensive Medications in 2008 (N=44,167)
| Characteristic | No. (%) |
|---|---|
| Age, y | |
| <50 | 18,122 (41.0) |
| 50–64 | 18,817 (42.6) |
| 65–74 | 4966 (11.2) |
| 75+ | 2262 (5.1) |
| Race/ethnicity | |
| White | 16,343 (37.0) |
| Black | 3036 (6.9) |
| Latino | 4479 (10.1) |
| Asian | 3893 (8.8) |
| Other/mixed/unknown | 16,416 (37.2) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 22,371 (50.7) |
| Female | 21,796 (49.4) |
| Current smoker | |
| Yes | 4653 (10.5) |
| BMI, kg/m2 | |
| <18.5 | 179 (0.6) |
| 18.5–24.99 | 5959 (18.8) |
| 25–29.99 | 10,893 (34.4) |
| ≥30 | 14,668 (46.3) |
| Missing | 12,468 (28.2) |
| Household income, $ | |
| <40,000 | 8304 (18.9) |
| 40,000–74,999 | 24487 (55.7) |
| ≥75,000 | 11146 (25.4) |
| Missing | 230 (0.5) |
| College degree, % | |
| <10 | 9316 (21.2) |
| 10–19 | 14960 (33.4) |
| 20–29 | 11973 (27.5) |
| ≥30 | 7955 (18.1) |
| Missing | 353 (0.5) |
| Drug copay, $ | |
| 0–5 | 13833 (31.6) |
| 6–10 | 24434 (55.8) |
| >10 | 5547 (12.7) |
| Missing | 353 (0.8) |
| Comorbid condition | |
| Diabetes | 3152 (7.1) |
| Prior cardiovascular disease | 959 (2.2) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 909 (2.1) |
| Schizophrenia | 147 (0.3) |
| Bipolar disorder | 338 (0.8) |
| Anxiety | 2641 (6.0) |
| Depression | 1484 (3.4) |
| Total outpatient visits (SD) a | 5.9 (10.2) |
| Mean SBP (SD) b | 144.3 (17.1) |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; SD, standard deviation. aAll outpatient visits during the 12 months prior to initiation of antihypertensive medication. bMost recent systolic blood pressure (SBP) reading prior to initiation of antihypertensive medication.