The benefits and risks of antihypertensive treatment

by Dr Constantinos Koshiaris, Assistant Professor of Medical Statistics, UNIC Medical School

Introduction by Christiana Demetriou, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Primary Care and Population Health,  UNIC Medical School

BRIEF SUMMARY

Effective management of high blood pressure is critical for reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. However, antihypertensive medications can also cause side effects, such as syncope, falls, and kidney issues. This lecture will present a series of clinical prediction models, developed and validated using data from millions of primary care patients in the UK, that estimate an individual’s risk of experiencing adverse side effects from antihypertensive treatment. When combined with models that predict cardiovascular disease risk, these tools can enable a more personalized approach to decision-making when considering treatment options. Additionally, this session will explore the advantages of using big data in healthcare research, as well as the complexities and challenges associated with these data sources.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Constantinos Koshiaris is an Assistant Professor of Medical Statistics at the University of Nicosia Medical School. Dr Koshiaris holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Manchester, a Master of Science (MSc) in Medical Statistics from University College London (UCL), and a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Primary Care Health Sciences from the University of Oxford.

His research interests include the development and validation of clinical prediction rules, with an emphasis on the early diagnosis of cancer (especially myeloma), quantifying the risk of side effects from cardio-protective medications such as antihypertensive drugs and statins, and predicting disease severity in young children presenting to the hospital with febrile illness in low-income settings.