Table 2 Preferred diagnostic tools used in the clinical practice in patients with hypertension either to assess [question num. 07] or to exclude presence of CVD [question num. 08], including transient ischemic attack and stroke, according to physicians’ answers to survey questionnaire
Question (num/text) | Answers (%) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall (N = 591) | SPs (n = 48) | GPs (n = 543) | |
Q07. Which diagnostic tool do you think is the most appropriate in patients with hypertension and CVD (i.e. transient ischemic attack or stroke) in your clinical practice? | |||
Echocardiogram | 294 (50.8) | 10 (20.8) | 284 (53.5) |
Carotid Vascular Ultrasound | 230 (39.7) | 25 (52.1) | 205 (38.6) |
Transcranic Vascular Ultrasound | 14 (2.4) | 1 (2.1) | 13 (2.4) |
24-h ABPM | 39 (6.7) | 11 (22.9) | 28 (5.3) |
Central Aortic Pressure and/or PWV | 2 (0.3) | 1 (2.1) | 1 (0.2) |
Q08. Which diagnostic tool do you think is the most appropriate in patients with hypertension to exclude the presence of CVD (i.e. transient ischemic attack or stroke) in your clinical practice? | |||
Carotid Vascular Ultrasound | 331 (57. 3) | 14 (29.2) | 317 (59.8) |
Transcranic Vascular Ultrasound | 26 (4.5) | 0 (0.0) | 26 (4.9) |
Electroencefalogram | 7 (1.2) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (1.3) |
Brain Imaging (CT or MR) | 179 (31.0) | 30 (62.5) | 149 (28.1) |
Angio-MR | 35 (6.1) | 4 (8.3) | 31 (5.8) |