Untreated, unaware hypertensive patients, in Greece; A persistent phenomenon that significantly burdens public health

Abstract

In Greece, hypertension is a common health condition, affecting a substantial percent (around 40%) of the adult population. Moreover, the unaware, the untreated, and the treated but uncontrolled patients with hypertension constitutes a substantial sub-sample with serious public health burden. In this article we aimed to capture the picture of the fiscal burden of hypertension in Greece, including the cost based on the Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost and to discuss the potential public health benefits that could be gained from improvements in the management of hypertension according to the recent guidelines.