[Hypertension: epidemiology and metabolic abnormalities in Foutah-Djallon in Guinea].

The objectives of this transverse study were to clarify the prevalence of the hypertension in Foutah-Djallon in Guinea, the influence of the environment (rural or urban areas) and to identify the associated metabolic abnormalities (AMA) (hyperglycaemia, weighty excess). 1537 subjects of 35 and more years old living in urban zones (Labé, n=886) and in rural areas (Fellö-Koundoua in Tougué, n=651), were selected by a cluster sampling, and examined between February 1st and March 31st, 2003.The prevalence of the hypertension (blood pressure: BP > or = 140/90 mm of Hg) was 43.6% in urban areas, 14.9% in rural areas (p < 0.001). The subjects living in urban areas had more often a weighty excess and were more sedentary. Among them, 3.6% presented an AMA (waist measurement > or = 95 cms in the man and > or = 88 cms in the woman, BP > or = 130/85 mm of Hg, and fasting capillary blood glycaemia > or = 1.10 g/l) against 0.3% in the subjects living in rural areas. These results confirm the important role of the changes of way of life (urbanization and sedentary) in the increase of the prevalence of the hypertension and the AMA in Africa. Appropriate programs educational sanitary in wide scale are indispensable.