Exposure to wartime conditions in Ukraine shifted arterial hypertension patterns toward younger individuals with stress-associated phenotypes and increased complications among older patients.
Observational
The war in Ukraine has significantly altered the epidemiology of arterial hypertension, shifting toward younger patients with stress-related phenotypes and increased complications in older patients due to disrupted care.
Objective: Full-scale war in Ukraine has profoundly altered population structure, exposure to risk factors, and healthcare accessibility. Large-scale migration created new epidemiological challenges, making it essential for the international community to understand current hypertension patterns among Ukrainian patients, many of whom are under care across Europe. Design and method: This epidemiological analysis is based on structured clinical observations collected in routine out- and inpatient settings. On average, 15–20 ambulatory patients and up to 10 hospitalized patients per week, including individuals with complicated AH, were evaluated in 2023-2025. Observed demographic distributions, clinical phenotypes, behavioral risk factors, treatment adherence patterns, and complication rates were summarized and compared with recent Ukrainian hypertension publications to identify consistent population trends and shifts. Results: Before 24.02.2022, the hypertensive population in Ukraine was relatively homogeneous. AH predominantly affected middle-aged and older adults, with a high prevalence of metabolic comorbidities, including overweight/obesity, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose metabolism. Major population-level risk factors included traditional dietary patterns, low physical activity, uneven screening coverage-particularly in rural areas-and persistently low adherence to preventive strategies and long-term antihypertensive therapy. Among younger adults, awareness and screening uptake were somewhat higher; however, hypertension frequently remained underestimated and intermittently monitored. Wartime conditions have substantially modified this pattern. A shift toward younger and working-age individuals with elevated blood pressure has become apparent, alongside an increased proportion of persistent systolic hypertension and grade 1–2 AH, consistent with stress-associated phenotypes. Patient-reported data identify the most relevant modifying exposures as: continuous informational pressure, sleep disturbances, blackouts and circadian rhythm disruption, migration-related stress, and reduced access to healthcare. Among older patients, the frequency of recurrent cardiovascular complications has increased, often associated with treatment interruptions, medication shortages, and decompensation of comorbid conditions. Conclusions: War has driven significant epidemiological shifts in arterial hypertension in Ukraine, characterized by population heterogeneity, younger age involvement, stress-related phenotypes, and reduced continuity of care. These evolving patterns are highly relevant for European healthcare systems managing Ukrainian migrants and refugees and highlight the need for population-oriented screening strategies, integration of psychosocial risk assessment, and adaptive hypertension surveillance models.
Okipniak et al. (Fri,) conducted a observational in Arterial hypertension. Wartime conditions vs. Pre-war period was evaluated on Epidemiological shifts in arterial hypertension patterns. Exposure to wartime conditions in Ukraine shifted arterial hypertension patterns toward younger individuals with stress-associated phenotypes and increased complications among older patients.