Prevalence, awareness, treatment and controll of hypertension - rule of thirds in The Skaraborg Project.

• Objective. To describe the prevalence, awareness, and control of hypertension in a Swedish population during the early 2000s to address implications for care and prevention. Design. A cross-sectional population survey. Setting. Primary health care in Skaraborg, a rural part of western Sweden. Subjects. Participants (n =2816) in a population survey of a random sample of men and women between 30 and 75 years of age in the municipalities of Vara (81% participation rate) and Skövde (70%), in western Sweden during 2001–2005. Main outcome measures. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, leisure-time physical activity, current smoking, fasting glucose, and cholesterol. Hypertension was defined as ongoing treatment for hypertension, or three consecutive blood pressure readings ≥140 systolic and/or ≥90 mmHg diastolic. Hypertension was considered controlled when the blood pressure was <140/90 mm Hg (both). Results. The prevalence of hypertension was 20% in both men and women with a steep increase by age. Among hypertensive subjects, 33% were unaware, 36% aware but uncontrolled, and 31% aware and controlled, with no statistically significant differences between men and women. Patients with diabetes had a higher awareness (87% vs. 64%, p <0.001), but the same control rate (56% vs. 44%, p =0.133), when compared with those without diabetes. Conclusion. A large proportion of subjects with hypertension are still unaware of their condition, or aware but not controlled. It is important to emphasize population-based prevention to reduce the prevalence of hypertension, to perform screening to increase awareness, and to improve implementation of expert guidelines in clinical practice to improve control.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation, hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Awareness

control

hypertension

population survey

prevention

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)