Awareness Of High Blood Pressure Research Articles

May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from a suburban community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Hypertension remains the most powerful contributor to the global morbidity and mortality. May Measurement Month (MMM), a worldwide screening campaign initiated by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH), is organized annually to increase awareness of high blood pressure (BP). We screened 20 913 adult (≥18 years) residents of suburb hamlets of Mbujimayi (mean age 35.1 ± 15.1 years; Black ethnicity: 98.8%; women: 29.6%; diabetes: 1.6%; alcohol drinkers: 16.8% and smokers: 6.7%, previous myocardial infarction: 1.4%; stroke: 0.8%; taking aspirin: 3.2%; taking statins: 1.9%). Three sitting BP readings were taken, and hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or being on antihypertensive medication. Half of the participants had never had their BP checked, whilst 4.2% of respondents had participated in the MMM19 campaign. 0.9% and 1.7% reported COVID-19 vaccination and positive test, respectively. After multiple imputation of missing BP readings, 14.0% of respondents had hypertension of which 35.8% were aware, 28.0% were on antihypertensive medication and 14.1% had controlled BP. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 40.4% were on monotherapy, 37.2% adhered to taking their medication regularly, and 50.4% had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg). In regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, and antihypertensive treatment, smoking was associated with lower systolic BP, having more years of education was associated with higher systolic and diastolic BP, and physical activity was associated with lower systolic and diastolic BP. This campaign contributes somewhat to reducing the 'black hole' on the prevalence of hypertension in DRC pending systematic countrywide BP screening.

May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Ecuador.

Arterial hypertension is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10.8 million deaths each year. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, cardiovascular diseases were the main cause of death in Ecuador. Hypertension is the main risk factor for the major cause of death, coronary and cerebrovascular disease. The 2021 May Measurement Month Campaign (MMM21) is a global initiative by the International Society of Hypertension aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and to provide a temporary solution for opportunistic screening until more systematic approaches can be established. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in May 2021 across 22 health centres in Ecuador. The average age of participants was 44.7 ± 15.8 years. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension (mean of the 2nd and 3rd BP measurements ≥ 140/90 mmHg or on medication for high BP), and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. In total, 1326 volunteers participated in MMM21. After multiple imputation of missing BP readings, 423 (31.9%) had hypertension. Of those, 70.5% were receiving antihypertensive medication. Of individuals receiving antihypertensive medication, 50.0% had uncontrolled BP. Overall, of 423 participants with hypertension, only 35.2% had their BP controlled (<140/90 mmHg). MMM21 demonstrated a high prevalence of hypertension in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the largest BP screening campaign done in Ecuador thus far. The high percentage of persons untreated or with uncontrolled hypertension while on pharmacologic treatment suggests that appropriate screening can help to identify a significant number of people with elevated BP and those inadequately treated. These data should attract the attention of doctors and health care providers in Ecuador.

May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Ghana.

May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global campaign initiated by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) with the aim of raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and serving as a catalyst for the establishment of screening programmes around the world. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 years was conducted. A standardized protocol for MMM was used to measure BP and collect relevant health information from participants at screening sites in four regions of Ghana. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or on antihypertensive medication. A total of 4832 people agreed to take part in the MMM21 study and were screened. After multiple imputation of missing BP readings, 1426 people (29.5%) had hypertension. 11.9% of the 1426 participants with hypertension were aware of their condition, and 8.6% reported taking antihypertensive medication. 24.2% of 123 people on antihypertensive medication had their BP under control (<140/90 mmHg). In addition, only 2.1% of the 1426 participants with hypertension had controlled BP. Results from this study found that almost nine out of 10 people with hypertension who were screened were unaware of their condition, most were untreated, and only 2% of those with hypertension had their BP controlled with medication. This emphasizes the importance of BP screening campaigns as a tool for identifying and referring people with high BP for treatment.

May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Bangladesh.

Previous studies have shown that among Bangladeshi adults, one-fifth have hypertension. The National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh participated in May Measurement Month (MMM) campaigns in 2017, 2018, 2019, as well as in 2021 as a part of a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of nationwide screening programmes. This opportunistic screening of voluntary participants aged ≥18 years was carried out from May to July 2021. Data were collected from more than 150 screening sites in all 64 districts in Bangladesh. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension, and statistical analysis followed the MMM protocol. Data on 28 355 individuals were finally analysed. Among the participants, 17 941 (63.3%) were female. After multiple imputation, 11 194 (39.5%) had hypertension. Among the 11 194 participants with hypertension, 78.8% were aware of having hypertension and 65.6% were on antihypertensive medication. Among 11 194 participants with hypertension, 7340 participants (65.6%) were on antihypertensive medication and 43.8% had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg). Of those on antihypertensive medication, 66.8% had controlled BP. A voluntary BP screening programme can identify significant numbers of people with raised BP and thus contributes importantly to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Exploring educational inequalities in hypertension control, salt knowledge and awareness, and patient advice: insights from the WHO STEPS surveys of adults from nine Eastern European and Central Asian countries.

To inform strategies aimed at improving blood pressure (BP) control and reducing salt intake, we assessed educational inequalities in high blood pressure (HBP) awareness, treatment and control; physician's advice on salt reduction; and salt knowledge, perceptions and consumption behaviours in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Data were collected in cross-sectional, population-based nationally representative surveys, using a multi-stage clustered sampling design. Five HBP awareness, treatment and control categories were created from measured BP and hypertension medication use. Education and other variables were self-reported. Weighted multinomial mixed-effects regression models, adjusted for confounders, were used to assess differences across education categories. Nine Eastern European and Central Asian countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan). Nationally representative samples of 30 455 adults aged 25-65 years. HBP awareness, treatment and control varied substantially by education. The coverage of physician's advice on salt was less frequent among participants with lower education, and those with untreated HBP or unaware of their HBP. The education gradient was evident in salt knowledge and perceptions of salt intake but not in salt consumption behaviours. Improved salt knowledge and perceptions were more prevalent among participants who received physician's advice on salt reduction. There is a strong education gradient in HBP awareness, treatment and control as well as salt knowledge and perceived intake. Enhancements in public and patient knowledge and awareness of HBP and its risk factors targeting socio-economically disadvantaged groups are urgently needed to alleviate the growing HBP burden in low- and middle-income countries.

May Measurement Month 2017: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Mauritius.

Hypertension is a growing burden worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, ∼1.13 billion people worldwide suffer from hypertension. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative of the International Society of Hypertension aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes worldwide. We provide the results of the 2017 MMM (MMM17) edition in Mauritius. This cross-sectional survey of participants aged 18 years and over was carried out in May 2017. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP of at least 140 mmHg or diastolic BP of at least 90mmHg or in those on antihypertensive medication. Blood pressure measurement and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. The screening was conducted by the Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Promotion Unit, which is under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, mainly in workplaces and community centres, in both rural and urban areas across Mauritius. Of the 2302 individuals screened, after multiple imputations, 375 (16.3%) had untreated hypertension. May Measurement Month 2017 was the very first BP screening campaign initiated in Mauritius. These results suggest that MMM17 was useful in the identification of potential patients with raised BP.

May Measurement Month 2018-2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Austria.

Arterial hypertension is a global burden leading to over 10.8 million deaths per year worldwide. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global project initiated by the International Society of Hypertension to raise the awareness of high blood pressure (BP) in the population. Following the MMM protocol 2508 participants ≥18 years had their BP measured in Austria in MMM18 and MMM19. Of those screened, 54.6% were found to be hypertensive, defined as a BP ≥140/90 mmHg and/or being on treatment for hypertension. Among those individuals with hypertension, 56.1% were on medication but only 42.0% of those treated had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg). Lower BPs were found in those with previous myocardial infarction (MI), probably explained by a medical monitoring system of patients with MI in Austria. Those with hypertension were referred for further medical investigations and were provided lifestyle advice. Among a high number of individuals receiving antihypertensive treatment, BP is still not controlled. Further screening and monitoring of therapeutic effects is urgently required.

World Hypertension Day 2021 in Italy: Results of a Nationwide Survey.

IntroductionHypertension is the biggest contributor to the global burden of cardiovascular diseases and related death, but the rates of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control remain largely perfectible.MethodsDuring the XVII World Hypertension Day (May 17th, 2021), a nationwide cross-sectional opportunistic study endorsed by the Italian Society of Hypertension was conducted on volunteer adults ≥ 18 years to raise awareness of high blood pressure (BP). A questionnaire on major demographic/clinical features (sex, age, employment, education, BP status awareness, hypertension family/personal history, antihypertensive medications use) and BP measurement habits (≥1 BP measurement in the previous month/week) was administered. Due to the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, BP was measured with standard procedures in a subset of participants (24.4%).ResultsA total of 1354 participants (mean age 56.3 ± 15.3 years; 57.3% women; mean BP: 131.2 ± 17.5/81.6 ± 10.5 mmHg; 42.3% self-declared hypertensive; 41.4% on antihypertensive medications) were enrolled; 73.6% declared being aware of their BP status. Among treated individuals with measured BP, 26.9% showed BP levels within the predefined therapeutic goals. Interestingly, BP status awareness rates were the highest among individuals with uncontrolled hypertension (85.1%) and the lowest among those with normal measured BP (54.4%).ConclusionsThis survey provides an updated insight into hypertension awareness and control in a setting of daily clinical practice, emphasizing the centricity of patients in the therapeutic alliance for a successful reduction of cardiovascular risk.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40292-022-00519-4.

High blood pressure among adolescents in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

IntroductionAs high blood pressure (HBP) is often considered an adult disease in Africa, studies on and services for HBP focus on adults to the near-exclusion of adolescents. The dearth of information about the burden of HBP does not favour much attention being paid to it. We, therefore, prepared this protocol to estimate the prevalence and awareness of HBP in adolescents in Africa through a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsWe will search several major databases for published and unpublished articles on population-based studies on adolescents living in Africa, aged 10–19 years produced from the year 2000 to date. The included articles will be those that define HBP according to international guidelines using the blood pressure cut-offs of the 95th percentile for age, sex and height or of 130/90 mmHg, depending on the age of the subjects. The study selection as well as the evaluation of the quality of the included articles will be done independently by two reviewers, in line with best practices. We will pool together the prevalence across studies using random effects analysis and assess heterogeneity using meta-regression analysis and sub-group analysis. Sensitivity analysis using a leave-one-out analysis and an evaluation of reporting bias will also be performed. Reporting of our findings will conform to the recommended reporting guidelines.ConclusionThe findings from our comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis will provide an up-to-date information on the prevalence of HBP and its awareness among adolescents in Africa and its sub-regions. They could be used to advocate for increased priority to life course approach to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42020197946.

Association of blood pressure and coronary heart disease in women of an open population of a moderately urbanized city of Western Siberia

Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the level of blood pressure (BP) and the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women of working age in an open population of a moderately urbanized Siberian city (on the model of Tyumen).Design and methods. We included 1000 women of an open urban population aged 25–64 years, 250 people in each of four decades of life (among persons 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–-64 years old), selected by the method of a random representative sample from the electoral lists of the administrative district of Tyumen, the response was 70,3% (703 participants). In all subjects we measured BP; assessed the presence of coronary artery disease — according to standardized epidemiological methods: based on the extended criteria, “definite” CHD (strict criteria) and “possible” CHD (non-strict criteria) were distinguished. Statistical analysis was performed using STATISTICA 12.0 software, the differences were considered significant at p-level ≤ 0,005.Results. Almost every third woman (25–64 years old) had increased BP (34,7 %), the frequency of increased BP grows with age, reaching 63,3 % in the older group. Low awareness of high BP and low adherence to treatment were found. There was a correlation between the prevalence of CHD and BP level and age. In the presence of increased systolic BP, the chance of developing CHD in women aged 25–64 years in the open population increases by 1,9–2,7 times (p &lt; 0,05), in the presence of increased diastolic BP, the chance of developing CHD according to extended criteria increases by 2,1 times (odds ratio = 2,08, 95 % confidence interval (1,15; 3,74)).Conclusions. Our results can be used for improving the strategy of primary cardiovascular prevention in preventive programs of the Western Siberia region.

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Benin–Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract Hypertension constitutes a major health concern worldwide and particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative of the International Society of Hypertension for raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP). This work aims to determine the prevalence, awareness and levels of treatment and control of hypertension among adults participating in the MMM Campaign in Benin in 2019 (MMM19). A cross-sectional survey including volunteers aged ≥18 years was carried out in June 2019 in 13 rural and urban areas in Benin. BP measurement followed the MMM19 protocol. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mmHg, or a diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg (based on the mean of the second and third readings) or taking antihypertensive medication. A total of 3637 people were screened with a female predominance (61.4%) and a mean age of 44.4 ± 16.1 years. A total of 1363 (37.5%) participants had hypertension. Of 1363 participants with hypertension: 64.5% were aware of their status and 43.9% were taking antihypertensive medication. Among 598 participants taking anti-hypertensive medication, 34.9% had controlled BP (systolic BP &amp;lt;140 mmHg and diastolic BP &amp;lt;90 mmHg). The results suggest a high prevalence of hypertension in Benin and that intensifying actions for its primary prevention, early detection and effective management should be encouraged.

May Measurement Month 2019: blood pressure screening results from Chile.

Hypertension is a major preventable cause of death worldwide. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and identifying individuals with increased BP. A cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 years old was carried out in May 2019 in Chile. Participating sites were distributed across the country, most of them from the Public Health System outpatient clinics. In addition, clinical research sites, universities, and private clinics participated. Blood pressure measurement protocol, hypertension categories, and statistical analysis followed the MMM protocol. Hypertension was diagnosed as mean systolic BP ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg or receiving antihypertensive medication. Overall, 6876 individuals were screened. After multiple imputations, hypertension prevalence was 35.4%, of which 65.9% were aware of their condition. While 60.1% were on antihypertensive medication and 34.4% of the total number of hypertensives had their BP controlled. Of participants not receiving antihypertensive treatment, 17.9% were identified as hypertensive. The MMM 2019 survey demonstrated a high proportion of participants with hypertension, with only one-third of these individuals having controlled BP (systolic BP <140 mmHg and diastolic BP <90 mmHg). The high percentage of participants with hypertension who were either untreated (39.9%) or were treated but uncontrolled (57.2%) suggesting that such opportunistic screening programmes may be a useful tool to improve hypertension control in Chile.

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Mauritius

Abstract Hypertension is a growing burden worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.13 billion people worldwide suffer from hypertension. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative of the International Society of Hypertension aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes worldwide. We provide the results of the 2019 MMM (MMM19) edition in Mauritius. This cross-sectional survey of participants aged ≥ 18 years was carried out in May 2019. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP of at least 140 mmHg or diastolic BP of at least 90 mmHg or in those on antihypertensive medication. Blood pressure measurement and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. Screening was conducted by the Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Promotion Unit, which is under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, mainly in workplaces and community centres, in both rural and urban areas across Mauritius. Of the 8262 individuals screened, after multiple imputations, 950 (14%) had untreated hypertension. May Measurement Month 2019 was the largest BP screening campaign undertaken in Mauritius. These results suggest that MMM19 is useful in the identification of potential patients with raised BP.

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Taiwan.

To bolster the awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and to monitor the trend of hypertension control rate. Similar to May Measurement Month (MMM) 2017 and 2018 campaigns, we conducted the MMM 2019 campaign in 643 community pharmacies across Taiwan, and recruited adults aged 20 years or over in May and June of 2019. After filling in an anonymous questionnaire regarding medical history and lifestyle habits and having 10-min sitting rest, pharmacists took triplicate upper-arm BP readings on participants using an automated oscillometric sphygmomanometer. The means of the second and third BP readings were used as the screening BP estimates. Hypertension was defined if one of the followings was met: use of antihypertensive medications, systolic BP ≥140 mmHg, or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg. Controlled BP was defined as BP of <140/90 mmHg. Of the 24 851 participants enrolled (mean age, 55.8 ± 15.2 years), 12 427 (50.0%) were women. Among 12 351 (49.7%) participants with hypertension, 10 463 (84.7%) were aware of their high BP, and 10 142 (82.1%) received antihypertensive medications. While 59.2% of all hypertensive participants had controlled BP, the BP control rate was 72.0% in treated hypertensive participants. MMM campaigns offer a feasible way to monitor the trends in both awareness and control of hypertension. This nationwide annual BP screening campaign, from 2017 to 2019, demonstrated continued improvement in hypertension control in Taiwan.

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Ecuador.

Arterial hypertension is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10.8 million deaths each year. In Ecuador, it is the main risk factor for the major cause of death, coronary, and cerebrovascular disease [GBD 2017 Risk Factor Collaborators. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioral, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet 2018;392:1923–1994]. The May Measurement Month Campaign in 2019 (MMM19) is a global initiative of the International Society of Hypertension aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programs worldwide. A volunteer cross-sectional survey was carried out in May 2019 across 42 health centres in Ecuador. The average age was 51 (SD ±17.6) years. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension (mean of the second and third BP measurement ≥140/90 mmHg or who were medicated for high BP), and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. In total, 15 885 volunteers participated in MMM19. After multiple imputation, 6654 (41.9%) had hypertension. Of individuals not receiving antihypertensive medication, 2383 (20.5%) were hypertensive. Of individuals receiving antihypertensive medication, 1004 (23.5%) had uncontrolled BP. May Measurement Month 2019 was the largest BP screening campaign done in Ecuador. In the survey, including 6654 participants with hypertension, only 49.1% had their BP values controlled (<140/90 mmHg). May Measurement Month 2019 demonstrated a high prevalence of hypertension among volunteer screenees in our country. The high percentage of persons untreated or with uncontrolled hypertension while on pharmacologic treatment suggest that appropriate screening can help to identify a significant number of people with high BP. These data should attract the attention of health care providers and the healthcare system in Ecuador.

Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention Across Populations During Urbanization in China: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Background: China is undergoing the largest urbanization in history. The new urban population in rapid expanding cities were usually at a disadvantaged position in avoiding disease risk and accessing health care. Methods: During 2015-2020, urban population aged 35-75 years living in 96 cities in 31 provinces in mainland China were enrolled in a national population-based epidemiological project China PEACE (Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events) MPP (Million Persons Project). They were divided into four groups by their former and current place of residence as follows: old-urban in-situ residents, new-urban in-situ residents, urban-to-urban migrants, and rural-to-urban migrants. We assessed twelve indicators related to their vulnerability to cardiovascular disease (CVD) on adherence to healthy lifestyles, use of primary and secondary prevention of CVD, and outcomes of blood pressure risk management. Findings: Among 1 068 723 included participants, 48·3% were old-urban in-situ residents, 34·4% were new-urban in-situ residents, 11·9% were urban-to-urban migrants, and 5·4% were rural-to-urban migrants. In the four groups of urban population, after standardized by age and sex, new-urban in-situ residents had the lowest adherence to non-smoking (73·1% [95% CI 72·8-73·3]), none or moderate alcohol use (94·5% [94·4-94·6]), sufficient leisure-time activity (18·9% [18·7-19·1]), and healthy diet (10·2% [10·0-10·4]). New-urban in-situ residents and rural-to-urban migrants had the lowest use of statin in primary prevention of CVD (0·9% [0·8-1·0] and 1·2% [0·9-1·6], respectively). Rural-to-urban migrants had the lowest use of aspirin in secondary prevention of CVD (12·2% [10·3-14·3]). New-urban in-situ residents had the lowest rate of awareness of high blood pressure (44·8% [44·6-45·1]) and lowest rate of control of blood pressure among people diagnosed as hypertension (21·9% [21·6-22·3]). Odds ratios of the population type after adjusting potential confounding factors in the multivariable logistic model showed similar results. Interpretation: New-urban in-situ residents and rural-to-urban migrants were the most vulnerable groups of urban population to CVD. Focused intervention is urgently in need. Funding Statement: This project was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (2017YFC1310801, 2017YFC1310803) from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China; the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Science (2017-I2M-2-002); the Ministry of Finance of China and National Health Commission of China; the 111 Project from the Ministry of Education of China (B16005). Declaration of Interests: The authors declared no relevant conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The project protocol was approved by the central ethics committee at the National Center for Cardiovascular Disease (NCCD), Beijing, China. Written informed consent was obtained from all enrolled participants.

Abstract P195: Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment And Control Of Hypertension In Awareness Campaigns

Introduction: Hypertension is a major cause of death and cardiovascular disease. In Brazil , hypertension heart disease is responsible for 14% of all cardiovascular deaths. Hypertension awareness campaigns are an initiative aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure, as measurement of blood pressure is a cheap, simple and noninvasive technique to detect hypertension. The awareness of hypertension, and its treatment and control could avoid many deaths and disabilities. Objective: The objective is to describe hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment and control in a population in MaringÅ, Southern Brazil, during hypertension awareness campaigns. Methods: Cross- sectional analysis from five hypertension awareness campaigns where 1495 participants were included. Blood pressure was measured by an automated electronic device, two readings were taken and recorded, with 1 minute between readings. Hypertension was defined as an average over 140/90 mmHg, and controlled as those with BP under 140/90 mmHg. Results: 1495 individuals were screened, mean age was 54 years, 58% ( 868 of 1495) were female. Mean SBP was 128,8 mmHg and mean DBP was 78,9 mmHg.Hypertension prevalence was 37,9% ( 567 of 1495), 61,9% (926 of 1495) were aware of hypertension diagnosis, and 64 % ( 363 of 567) were receiving treatment. Only 33,4% (122 of 363 ) of patients receiving medical treatment had their blood pressure controlled. Conclusion: Hypertension prevalence was high, but blood pressure control was low in this population, and 36 % ( 204 of 567) were unaware of their hypertension, demonstrating the importance of hypertension awareness campaigns.

May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening in the Philippines.

Building on the gains of May Measurement Month 2017 (MMM17), the Philippine Society of Hypertension once again took part in MMM18 to raise awareness of high blood pressure (BP) in the country and to harness opportunistic BP screening in detecting unaware hypertensive individuals and referring them for treatment. We followed the standard MMM18 protocol designed by the International Society of Hypertension, utilizing convenience sampling with volunteer investigators, taking three sitting BP measurements of volunteer adults (≥18 years). Basic data on demographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors were also taken. We analysed 177 176 screened individuals from the Philippines. Of these, 29.1% (51 527) had also participated in MMM17, whereas 68.8% (121 893) were new screenees; and 14.2% (25 232) had their BP taken for the first time ever. After multiple imputation, 39.0% (69 126) were hypertensive. Of these, 50.3% (34 795) were aware they were hypertensive. 49.9% (34 491) were on antihypertensive medication, 58.0% (20 010) of whom had controlled BP <140/90 mmHg. Only 28.9% of all participants with hypertension had controlled BP. Systolic BPs and diastolic BPs were significantly higher in the overweight and obese, in those receiving antihypertensive medications, in patients with diabetes, and significantly lower in pregnant women. MMM18 has again shown that opportunistic BP screening, harnessing volunteers, is a pragmatic public health measure to improve awareness and treatment rates of raised BP.

May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Mauritius.

Hypertension is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10 million deaths each year. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure (HBP) and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes worldwide. We here provide the results of the 2018 MMM (MMM18) edition in Mauritius. This cross-sectional survey of participants aged ≥18 years was carried out in May 2018. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure of at least 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure of at least 90 mmHg or both. Blood pressure (BP) measurement and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. Screening was conducted by Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Promotion Unit, which is under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, mainly in workplaces and community centres, in both rural and urban areas across Mauritius. Of 5471 individuals screened, after multiple imputation, 786 (14.4%) had untreated hypertension. MMM18 was the largest BP screening campaign undertaken in Mauritius. These results suggest that MMM18 is very useful to identify significant numbers of patients with raised BP.

Analysis of blood pressure and selected cardiovascular risk factors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: the May Measurement Month 2018 results

Hypertension (HT) is the largest contributor to cardiovascular disease mortality and is characterized by high prevalence and low awareness, treatment, and control rates in sub-Saharan Africa. May Measurement Month (MMM) is an international campaign intended to increase awareness of high blood pressure (BP) among the population and advocate for its importance to the health authorities. This study aimed to increase awareness of raised BP in a country where its nationwide prevalence is yet unestablished. Investigators trained and tested how to use the campaign materials, collected participants’ demographic data, lifestyle habits, and obtained from each one three BP measurements. Hypertension was defined as a BP ≥140/90 mmHg, or use of antihypertensive medication. Of the 18 719 screened (mean age 41 years; 61.4% men), 26.1% were found to be hypertensive of whom 46.3% were aware of their condition and 29.6% were taking antihypertensive medication. The control rate of HT was 43.0% in those on medication and 12.7% among all hypertensive respondents. Comorbidities found were—diabetes (3.3%), overweight/obesity (35.5%); and a previous stroke and a previous myocardial infarction were reported by 1.2% and 2.0%, respectively. Imputed age- and sex-standardized BP was higher in treated hypertensive individuals (135/85 mmHg) than those not treated (124/78 mmHg). Based on linear regression models adjusted for age and sex (and an interaction) and antihypertensive medication, stroke survivors, those who drank once or more per week (vs. never/rarely), and overweight/obese participants were associated with higher BP. MMM18 results in the Democratic Republic of the Congo corroborated the high prevalence of HT in Kinshasa screenees with low rates of treatment and control. Extension of the MMM campaign to other parts of the country is advisable.