What are the urban-rural differences and trends in hypertension prevalence in low-income and middle-income countries between 1990 and 2020?
The rising prevalence of hypertension in rural areas of LMICs is outpacing urban areas, narrowing the historical urban-rural gap and necessitating focused rural health action.
The prevalence of hypertension in LMICs increased between 1990 and 2020 in both urban and rural areas, but with a stronger trend in rural areas. The urban minus rural hypertension difference decreased with time, and with country-level socioeconomic development. Focused action, particularly in rural areas, is needed to tackle the burden of hypertension in LMICs.
Ranzani et al. (Thu,) studied this question.