Open AccessTrends in Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Blood Pressure Recorded From 2004 to 2014 During World Hypertension Day in Italy
Author(s) -
Tocci Giuliano,
Muiesan Maria L.,
Parati Gianfranco,
Agabiti Rosei Enrico,
Ferri Claudio,
Virdis Agostino,
Pontremoli Roberto,
Mancia Giuseppe,
Borghi Claudio,
Volpe Massimo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the journal of clinical hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1751-7176
pISSN - 1524-6175
DOI - 10.1111/jch.12711
Subject(s) - medicine , blood pressure , diastole , body mass index , hypertension treatment , cardiology , pediatrics
Estimates of blood pressure ( BP ) control in real life are not systematically collected in Italy. We evaluated trends in systolic/diastolic BP levels, as well as prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of hypertension among adult individuals visiting open checkpoints during the 2004 to 2014 annual editions of World Hypertension Day. Hypertension was defined as BP level ≥140/90 mm Hg or use of antihypertensive medication, whereas BP control was defined as BP level <140/90 mm Hg. We included 10,051 individuals (53.2% female, age 56.2±16.8 years, body mass index 25.7±7.6 kg/m 2 , systolic/diastolic BP 131.9±18.6/79.1±10.5 mm Hg). Hypertension prevalence and treatment were substantially unchanged, whereas awareness appears to increase over time. Controlled hypertension in diagnosed treated patients increased from 50.0% in 2004–2010 to 55.5% in 2011–2012 towards 57.6% in 2013–2014. This analysis provides real‐life snapshots of hypertension over the years in the occasion of World Hypertension Day, showing increased awareness and improved control rates among treated hypertensive patients attending open checkpoints during 2004 to 2014 in Italy.