A Cross-Sectional Study of Hypertension Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, Ratios under Control and Related Factors in Turkish Cypriot Individuals Living in North Cyprus

BACKGROUND/AIMS With an incidence of more than one billion worldwide, hypertension (HT) is a major cause of premature death. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and ratios under control of HT and its associated factors among individuals living in North Cyprus.MATERIALS AND METHODS Blood pressure, height, and weight measurements were taken when a doctor visited individuals' homes in this cross-sectional study. The socio-demographic characteristics of the individuals, as well as their dietary patterns, daily salt, alcohol and smoking consumption frequencies, whether they had been diagnosed with HT before, and whether they regularly used antihypertensive drugs were investigated in this research.RESULTS The prevalence of HT was 34.5%. The prevalence among males (n=200) was 44.4% and the prevalence among females (n=203) was 24.6%. 71.3% of the hypertensive patients were aware and 28.7% of them were unaware of their disease status. 27.3% of the hypertensive patients' blood pressure was under control, and 66.9% of the hypertensive patients were using antihypertensive drugs. 84.8% of the hypertensive patients had a body mass index considered as being overweight or obese. It was determined that 64.7% of the hypertensive patients were fed animal-based foods and 93% of the hypertensive patients whose blood pressure was not under control consumed salt in amounts greater than 6 g/day.CONCLUSION It was determined that approximately one-third of adults had HT, approximately one-fourth of HT patients were unaware that they had HT, and only one-fourth of HT patients had their blood pressure under control.