Hypertension and cardiovascular diseases in Swedish persons with haemophilia — A longitudinal registry study

Abstract Introduction Data on the prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among persons with haemophilia (PWH) vary. Sweden has a long tradition of maintaining population-based data registries, and there is extensive follow-up of haemophilia patients due to the use of prophylaxis over decades. We evaluated the prevalence of these diseases among Swedish PWH compared to matched controls using a longitudinal study design. Methods Data were obtained from the National Patient Registry and linked to records of persons with haemophilia enrolled in the haemophilia centres. For each subject, five gender and age matched controls were identified. Results We identified 193 (19.7%) diagnoses of hypertension in PWH born in 1978 or earlier over ≥30 years compared with 550 (11.2%) among controls. The median ages and interquartile ranges were 60.0 (42.8, 69.9) and 57.2 (42.6, 70.6) years. The hazard rate (HR) for hypertension, PWH vs. controls, was 2.1, 95% CI: [1.8; 2.5], p p  = 0.001. Conclusion Our data support an increased prevalence of hypertension among persons with haemophilia. The prevalence of CVD seems to be similar to that of controls, but with lower mortality.