Key Points
- To determine the age- and sex-specific prevalence of high blood pressure, assess control rates among treated individuals, and evaluate associations with concurrent cardiovascular risk factors.
- Cross-sectional study of 61,108 individuals undergoing free health check-ups at healthcare centres in central France between February 1995 and September 1996.
- High blood pressure was defined as systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg, or current antihypertensive treatment.
- Evaluated concurrent risk factors including diabetes (fasting glucose > 1.26 g/l), hypercholesterolaemia (total cholesterol > 2 g/l), hypertriglyceridaemia, overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²), and abdominal adiposity.
- High blood pressure was present in 37.7% of males and 22.2% of females, but blood pressure was controlled in only 29.7% of treated males and 44.1% of treated females.
- At least one additional cardiovascular risk factor was present in 83.8% of hypertensive males and 76.7% of hypertensive females, with hypercholesterolaemia being the most common.
- Two or more additional risk factors co-occurred in 22.9% of males and 9.8% of females with high blood pressure, and individual risk factor prevalence rose with increasing hypertension severity.
Structured PICO
PPopulation61,108 subjects who had a free health check-up between February 1995 and September 1996 in healthcare centres in the centre of France
OOutcomePrevalence of high blood pressure (SBP > 140 mmHg, DBP > 90 mmHg or antihypertensive therapy) and its association with other cardiovascular risk factors
High blood pressure is highly prevalent and frequently clusters with other cardiovascular risk factors, emphasizing the need for comprehensive cardiovascular risk management.