Epidemiological research on the incidence and prevalence of hypertension in the Portuguese population: A scoping review

Abstract

Introduction and ObjectivesPortugal is among the countries with the highest levels of mean blood pressure. The aim of the present study is to conduct a structured literature review describing the scope (quantity, focus and nature) of published epidemiological research on the prevalence and incidence of hypertension in the Portuguese population. MethodsThe scoping review was conducted during June 2013, using two information sources, B-on and PubMed, to search for published studies on the prevalence and incidence of hypertension with data collected between 2005–2013 and 1995–2013, respectively. ResultsWe identified 527 publications, of which 14 on the prevalence and two on the incidence of hypertension were selected. The results show more studies on populations in the North region of Portugal; an apparent lack of published studies specifically targeting the Alentejo and Algarve populations; long delays between data collection and publication of results (up to nine years); considerable variability in measurement methods; and infrequent data stratification by gender and age. ConclusionsDifferences in blood pressure measurement methods, not specified in most studies, the infrequency of stratification of results by gender and age, and the geographic asymmetry in coverage of the Portuguese population, hinder monitoring of the incidence and prevalence of hypertension in Portugal.