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Impact of hypertension-related avoidable hospitalization on all-cause mortality in older patients with hypertension: a nationwide retrospective cohort study in South Korea
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Yehrhee Son, Noorhee Son, Sungyoun Chun, Ki-Bong Yoo, Jung Hyun Chang, Woo-Ri Lee
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Epidemiol Health. 2025;e2025019. Published online April 18, 2025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025019
[Accepted]
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 Abstract
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
The prevalence of hypertension is increasing as a result of rapid population aging, which elevates the societal burden of the disease. In South Korea, the hospitalization rate for hypertension-related admissions exceeds the average reported by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; however, the impact of these hospitalizations has not been evaluated. Therefore, this study investigates the association between hypertension-related avoidable hospitalizations and all-cause mortality.
METHODS We included patients aged ≥60 years diagnosed with hypertension, identified using data from the National Health Insurance Services Senior Cohort spanning 2008 to 2019. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality measured at 3 and 5 years after the hypertension diagnosis. The key independent variable was the incidence of hypertension-related avoidable hospitalizations within the first year following the initial hypertension diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was employed to assess these associations. To ensure robust findings and minimize selection bias, several sensitivity analyses were conducted.
RESULTS Out of 65,686 participants, 397 (0.6%) experienced hypertension-related avoidable hospitalizations within 1 year of their initial hypertension diagnosis. Individuals who experienced such hospitalizations had a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who did not (3-year: hazard ratio (HR) 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.53–2.94; 5-year: HR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.68–2.68).
CONCLUSIONS Hypertension-related avoidable hospitalizations among older adults are associated with an increased risk of both short-term and long-term all-cause mortality. These findings underscore the importance of timely hypertension management to prevent such hospitalizations.
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Summary
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