BLOOD PRESSURE AWARENESS AND CONTROL IN SWISS PHARMACIES DURING MMM17–18 CAMPAIGNS

Abstract

Objective: May Measurement Month (MMM) is a worldwide hypertension awareness campaign. The objective was to determine the usefulness of pharmacies in the detection of high blood pressure (BP) using the ESH 2018 and the ESH 2021 proposed threshold for diagnosis of hypertension in pharmacies. Design and method: Forty-one pharmacies in the Canton of Vaud (Switzerland) evaluated the participants during MMM17 campaign and 271 pharmacies in Switzerland evaluated the participants during MMM18 campaign. After obtaining inform consent form, BP and a short questionnaire focusing on basic demographic and clinical information were recorded. ESH 2018 threshold of 140/90mmHg and ESH 2021 pharmacy-threshold of 135/85mmHg were used for our analysis. Descriptive statistics and t-test were used appropriately. Results: 2060 participants had their BP measured in pharmacies. Mean age was 48.5 ± 19 years and almost ¾ of the participants were women (71.6% p < 0.001). BP measurement in pharmacies was associated with a first measure effect of 2.8 ± 0.17 mmHg on SBP and 0.9 ± 0.13 mmHg on DBP. 689 (33.5%) and 840 (40.8%) participants presented a high BP based on ESH 2018 threshold and ESH 2021 pharmacy-based threshold respectively. In treated participants, 56.9% had average BP lower than 140/90mmHg. Conclusions: Mainly female participants had their BP measured in pharmacies. Screening for high BP in pharmacies is feasible and recruits mainly female participants. Based on pharmacy thresholds, the prevalence of hypertension was higher than expected for Switzerland. A first measure effect was also present in pharmacies, suggesting that three measures should be performed at pharmacies and the first one should be discarded from the mean BP calculation.