Newly detected hypertension in an Iranian population: an epidemiological study

Background: Early detection of undiagnosed hypertension may prevent or reduce the onset and progression of many diseases. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension in an Iranian population and its relation with socio-demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical factors. Methods: Four thousand five hundred nineteen subjects, aged 15-65 years, were eligible for the study. They were entered into the study through the cluster sampling method. Results: The overall prevalence of previously unknown hypertension was 24.2%. It was higher among urban dwellers who were poorly educated, married, and were manual laborers by occupation compared to other groups. Conclusion: Poor literacy status as well socioeconomic conditions may be positively associated with hypertension. Undiagnosed hypertension can be lowered by increasing access to routine blood pressure measurement, pre-employment medical examination, and improvement of the health seeking behavior in these groups.