How have the rates of hypertension detection and control changed over time in a city-wide screening program?
The study demonstrates a marked upward trend in community-wide hypertension detection and control over a 5-year period in Chicago.
Of 177,692 persons screened in 1977 as part of an ongoing City-Wide Hypertension Screening Program in Chicago, 14,988 (8.4%) had diastolic blood pressure (BP) greater than or equal to 95 mm Hg as compared to 13.2% of a similar population in 1976. Only 7% (3,910) of the hypertensive population (diastolic BP greater than or equal to 95 mm Hg or presently on antipressor drugs) had previously undetected hypertension in contrast to 11.9% (4,184) the year before and 48.7% in the same community in 1972. Conversely, 73.2% (40,738) had adequately controlled blood pressure as contrasted to 59.3% (20,897) the previous year and 20.6% in 1972. Of the remaining hypertensives, 7.5% (4,201) were known but not treated and 12.3% (6,824) were under treatment but not controlled in contrast to 12.1% (4,251) and 16.8% (5,905) respectively the year before. This upward trend in controlled hypertension was present in all strata of the population.
Berkson et al. (1980) studied this question.