Impact of hypertension prevalence trend on mortality and burdens of dementia and disability in England and Wales to 2060: a simulation modelling study

Background Previous estimates of the impact of public health interventions targeting hypertension usually focus on one health outcome. This study aims to consider the effects of change in future hypertension prevalence on mortality, dementia, and disability simultaneously.Methods We modelled three plausible scenarios based on observed trends of hypertension prevalence from 2003 to 2017 in England: observed trends continue (baseline scenario); 2017 prevalence remains unchanged; and 2017 prevalence decreases by 50% by 2060. We used a probabilistic Markov model to integrate calendar trends in incidence of cardiovascular disease, dementia, disability, and mortality to forecast their future occurrence in the population of England and Wales. Assuming the hypertension prevalence trend modifies health transition probabilities, we compared mortality outcomes and the burden of dementia and disability to 2060 for the scenarios.Findings If the decline in hypertension prevalence stops, there would be a slight increase in the number of additional deaths to 2060 (22 center dot 9 [95% uncertainty interval 19 center dot 0-26 center dot 6] more deaths per 100 000 population), although the burdens of disability and dementia in absolute terms would change little. Alternatively, if the downward hypertension prevalence trend accelerates (with prevalence falling by 50% between 2017 and 2060), there would be a modest additional reduction in deaths (57 center dot 0 [50 center dot 4-63 center dot 5] fewer deaths per 100 000 population), a small increase in dementia burden (9 center dot 0 [5 center dot 1-13 center dot 2] more cases per 100 000 population), no significant effect on disability burden, and an 8% gain in healthy life expectancy at age 65 years from 2020 to 2060 (5 center dot 3 years vs 4 center dot 9 years) compared with the baseline scenario.Interpretation The major future impact of alternative hypertension prevention strategies appears to be on future life expectancy. The salutary effect of lower population blood pressure distribution on incidence of dementia and disability might not offset expansion of the susceptible population due to reduced mortality.Funding British Heart Foundation and UK Economic and Social Research Council.Copyright (c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Automated summary

This study examines the impact of changes in hypertension prevalence on mortality, dementia, and disability. Three scenarios were modeled based on observed trends, and the results show a potential influence on life expectancy and risk of dementia and disability.