May Measurement Month 2023: results of an opportunistic blood pressure screening campaign in Slovenia

Abstract The May Measurement Month (MMM) campaign was conducted in Slovenia in 2023 to raise awareness of raised blood pressure (BP). Adults aged ≥ 18 years were recruited through convenience sampling at health facilities and pharmacies and some public spaces from different regions of the country. Three seated BP readings were taken on each participant, and a questionnaire collected information on demographics, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or being on BP-lowering medication. Controlled BP was defined as being on BP-lowering medication with a BP 140/90 mmHg. Multiple imputation was used to estimate missing BP readings. In total, 4211 subjects were screened, with a mean age of 56.4 years and 64.8% were female. Of all participants, 2143 (50.9%) had hypertension, of whom 1641 (76.6%) were aware of the condition, and 1407 (65.7%) were on BP-lowering medication. Of those on BP-lowering medication, 641 (45.6%) had controlled BP, and of all participants with hypertension, 29.9% had controlled BP. The MMM campaign in Slovenia identified a substantial number of participants with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. Given a lack of national epidemiologic data on raised BP prevalence and control, these results provide valuable evidence of its persistent burden. Despite a high-quality healthcare system and easy access to medication, control of hypertension remains a challenge and further improvements are needed.