Hypertension in UAE Citizens - Preliminary Results of a Prospective Study.

This report from the National Epidemiological Study of Hypertension in the United Arab Emirates (NESH-UAE) represents the preliminary results of phase I, comprising the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among UAE citizens (adults aged 18-75 years). The data reported in this study represent only the region of the Sharjah district, UAE. There were 3150 individuals enrolled for the study. Hypertension was defined as systolic pressure > 140 mmHg, and/or diastolic pressure> 90 mmHg, and/or reported treatment with one or more antihypertensive medications. The overall prevalence in this screened sample was 36.6%. Most of the study subjects were in the productive age, from 30-50 years. In the hypertensive group there are more females than males (53% vs. 47% respectively). Overall, 26% of hypertensive persons were aware that they had high blood pressure, 41% being treated with antihypertensive medications, and 19 % were under control (systolic pressure < 140 and diastolic pressure < 90 mmHg). We plan to extend the study to other regions in the country in order to attain a representative sample and results about this disease. These preliminary results indicate that hypertension is highly prevalent in the UAE. The rates of awareness, treatment and control are relatively low. Furthermore, they argue for a nation-wide effort to prevent and control high blood pressure in the UAE in order to prevent the related complications.