Hypertension awareness: treatment and control among adult hypertensives

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of undetected hypertension among adu lts residing in Riyadh city and to study the non pharmacological modalities used by detected hypertensives and compliance with pharmacologic therapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted at Primary Health Care centres i n Riyadh city selected by stratified random sampling. The subjects resident in each Primary Health Care centres catchment area were selected by system atic sampling from records in the Primary Health Care centres. One thousand three hundred and ninety four adults aged 15 years and more were interview ed and examined during March 1993 to March 1994. The average of three measu rements of the participants blood pressure was taken to represent their cur rent blood pressure. A subject is considered hypertensive if the average bl ood pressure reading is 160/95 mmhg or more, or currently under treatment. Results: The total hypertensive subjects were 214 persons, 157 of whom were known hypertensives and were under some form of treatment but 49 subjects of them (31.2%) were apparently not well controlled. The other 57 subjects were not aware of their disease and were newly detected by the study. Almos t two fifths of the hypertensives on drug therapy stopped their medication without medical advice or were not taking their medications regularly. Redu ction in salt intake was the most common non pharmacological method used wh ile physical exercise was the least method used. Conclusion: Detected and undetected hypertension is a problem among adults in Riyadh city, many patients are not taking their medications regularly an d physical exercise is the least practiced non pharmacologic treatment moda lity. There is a need for activities to prevent, control and treat hyperten sion in Riyadh city. Educational programs are highly needed to help in prim ary prevention, and in secondary prevention by detecting new cases,controll ing existing cases with emphasis on lifestyle modifications and compliance with pharmacologic and non pharmacologic therapies.