Hypertension in Iranian Urban Population, Epidemiology, Awareness, Treatment and Control

Abstract

Background: To assess the epidemiological characteristics of hypertensive patients in urban population of Yazd, A cen­tral city in Iran.
Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted from 2005-2006 and carried out on population aging 20-74 years. It is a part of the phase I of Yazd healthy heart program that it is a community interventional study for prevention of car­diovascular disease. Data obtained from questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS version 13. P value less than 0.05 were consid­ered significant level.
Results: This study comprised of 2000 participants that 847 (42.5%) were diagnosed as being hypertensive. After age ad­justment, prevalence of hypertension was 25.6% (23.3% for women and 27.5% for men (P< 0.001). Age, Total cho­lesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, impaired glucose tolerance test, body mass index and waist were significantly higher in the hypertensive groups. 53.7% of hypertensive cases were aware of own condition, 45% were treated, and 33.9% of treated were controlled (30.7% and 35.4% in men and women re­spectively). In other word, 24% of all hypertensives (aware or unaware about own blood pressure condition) were treated and only 8% of them were controlled. Men significantly had less awareness (P< 0.001), lower tendency to take medi­cation (P< 0.001), and less were controlled (P= 0.046).
Conclusion: We understand high prevalence, low awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and higher preva­lence of other traditional metabolic risk factors in these cases. It seems that urgent preventional studies should be con­ducted in this population.