Hypertension in the city of São Paulo: self-reported prevalence assessed by telephone surveys.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the prevalence of hypertension in São Paulo, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of self-reported hypertension in the city of São Paulo.
METHODS: There were 613 telephone interviews using directories of household land-lines. The sample was calculated with an estimated prevalence of hypertension in 20.0%.
RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported hypertension was 23.0% and 9.0% of respondents reported that the value of their last pressure measurement was greater than 140/90 mmHg, but they were unaware that they were hypertensive, with a total prevalence 32.0%. Hypertensive patients reported that: 89.0% were under treatment and 35.2% were controlled; 27.0% miss medical appointments; 16.2% stop taking drugs; 14.8% have a history of stroke; 27.8% had heart disease and 38.7% had hypercholesterolemia; 71.2% received advice to reduce salt, 64.6% to perform physical activity, 60.0% to lose weight loss and 26.2% to control stress; and 78.9% measured pressure regularly. There was a statistically significant relation (p < 0.05) for: 1) missing medical appointments with longer treatment and irregular health monitoring; 2) stop taking the drugs with smoking, alcohol and failure to monitor health; 3) carry out treatment for hypertension with dyslipidemia, higher age and longer use of contraceptives for women; and 4) body mass index changed with diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, uncontrolled systolic blood pressure and use of more than one anti-hypertension drug.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of self-reported hypertension in the city of São Paulo resembles the prevalence found in other studies.