Ana Paula Rodrigues1, Vânia Gaio2, Irina Kislaya2, Sidsel Graff-Iversen3, Eugénio Cordeiro4, Ana Clara Silva5, Sónia Namorado2, Marta Barreto6, Ana Paula Gil7, Liliana Antunes2, Ana Santos2, José Pereira Miguel8, Baltazar Nunes6, Carlos Matias Dias6. 1. Departamento de Epidemiologia, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal. Electronic address: ana.rodrigues@insa.min-saude.pt. 2. Departamento de Epidemiologia, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal. 3. Instituto Norueguês de Saúde Pública, Oslo, Norway. 4. Departamento de Saúde Pública, Administração Regional de Saúde do Centro, Coimbra, Portugal. 5. Instituto de Administração da Saúde e Assuntos Sociais, Secretaria Regional de Saúde da Região Autónoma da Madeira, Funchal, Portugal. 6. Departamento de Epidemiologia, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal; Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública (ENSP), Centro de Investigação em Saúde Pública (CISP/NOVA), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 7. Departamento de Epidemiologia, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal; Centro Interdisciplinar de Ciências Sociais, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. 8. Instituto de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular disease is an important cause of death and disability worldwide, and hypertension is responsible for at least 45% of all deaths due to heart disease and 51% of deaths due to stroke. This study aimed to estimate and describe the distribution of prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the Portuguese population in 2015. METHODS: A national survey using a representative sample of 4911 individuals residing in Portugal and aged between 25 and 74 years was implemented. Trained nurses performed a health interview and a physical examination, including blood pressure measurement (right arm, three measurements at 1-min intervals). The prevalence of hypertension was stratified by gender, age group, marital status, education, occupation and type of residential area. Associations between hypertension prevalence and sociodemographic factors were assessed using bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression. RESULTS: The overall hypertension prevalence was 36.0%. The highest rates were observed in males (39.6%), in individuals aged between 65 and 74 years (71.3%), and in those with low levels of education (62.6%) and with no formal occupation (64.5%). Among hypertensive individuals, 69.8% were aware of their condition and 69.4% were under treatment, of whom 71.3% were controlled. Rates of awareness and medical treatment were significantly higher among women and older individuals. CONCLUSIONS: A large majority of the adult Portuguese population are likely to reach blood pressure levels defined as hypertension in adulthood. Significant differences in hypertension prevalence were found according to gender, age and socioeconomic status, which highlights the importance of population strategies in public health policies.
INTRODUCTION:Cardiovascular disease is an important cause of death and disability worldwide, and hypertension is responsible for at least 45% of all deaths due to heart disease and 51% of deaths due to stroke. This study aimed to estimate and describe the distribution of prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the Portuguese population in 2015. METHODS: A national survey using a representative sample of 4911 individuals residing in Portugal and aged between 25 and 74 years was implemented. Trained nurses performed a health interview and a physical examination, including blood pressure measurement (right arm, three measurements at 1-min intervals). The prevalence of hypertension was stratified by gender, age group, marital status, education, occupation and type of residential area. Associations between hypertension prevalence and sociodemographic factors were assessed using bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression. RESULTS: The overall hypertension prevalence was 36.0%. The highest rates were observed in males (39.6%), in individuals aged between 65 and 74 years (71.3%), and in those with low levels of education (62.6%) and with no formal occupation (64.5%). Among hypertensive individuals, 69.8% were aware of their condition and 69.4% were under treatment, of whom 71.3% were controlled. Rates of awareness and medical treatment were significantly higher among women and older individuals. CONCLUSIONS: A large majority of the adult Portuguese population are likely to reach blood pressure levels defined as hypertension in adulthood. Significant differences in hypertension prevalence were found according to gender, age and socioeconomic status, which highlights the importance of population strategies in public health policies.
Authors: José João Mendes; João Viana; Filipe Cruz; Dinis Pereira; Sílvia Ferreira; Paula Pereira; Luís Proença; Vanessa Machado; João Botelho; João Rua; Ana Sintra Delgado Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-01-02 Impact factor: 3.390