Joint Prevalence and Control of Hypercholesterolemia and Hypertension in Thailand

Abstract

The prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, and control of hypercholesterolemia and/or hypertension were estimated for Thailand using data from a recent, nationally representative health examination survey. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with diagnosis, treatment, and control. In all, 14% of men and 17% of women had hypercholesterolemia, 23% and 21% had hypertension, and 5% and 6%, respectively, had both. A large proportion of individuals with these risk factors is neither diagnosed nor treated, let alone adequately controlled; 30% of people with hypertension had been diagnosed and 24% treated, and 9% had their blood pressure controlled. The figures for hypercholesterolemia were 13%, 9%, and 6%, respectively. Those for both risk factors combined were below 15% and did not differ by sex, urbanicity, age, or marital status. Among men, education correlated with diagnosis and treatment odds. There is great scope for improved prevention of cardiovascular disease in Thailand.