ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Medicines Company announced its support of two landmark initiatives on acute severe hypertension: a first-of-its-kind patient observational study (registry) to be conducted by The Center for Outcomes Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School and a large-scale clinical survey to be conducted by The Ohio State University.

Both initiatives are designed to provide insights into the demographics, clinical descriptors, contemporary treatment, and outcomes of patients with hypertensive emergency. The data, once collected, will be used to improve patient care and to provide focus for future clinical research priorities.

Acute severe hypertension, a life-threatening condition affecting nearly three million patients in the US annually, is found in conjunction with conditions such as stroke, acute myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, heart failure, end stage renal disease (hypertensive emergencies) and following many surgeries, especially cardiac, neurological, and vascular surgeries (perioperative hypertension).

The registry project will be conducted by the Center for Outcomes Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, supported by a planned research grant from The Medicines Company. The registry will gather information on the frequency of hypertensive emergencies, patient characteristics, management practices and patient outcomes from physicians who treat emergency room and critical care patients.

The first phase of the registry will involve 10 hospital sites and 200 patients. Eventually, the registry will include up to 50 sites and 2,500 patients.