May Measurement Month 2023: results of an opportunistic blood pressure screening campaign in Nepal

Hypertension is a leading non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factor in Nepal, estimated to affect approximately one quarter of the adult population. The May Measurement Month (MMM) campaign was conducted in Nepal in 2023 to raise awareness of raised blood pressure (BP). Adults aged ≥18 years were recruited through convenience sampling from 11 districts of Nepal from May to August 2023. Three seated BP readings were taken from each participant, and a questionnaire collected information on demographics, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90mmHg or being on antihypertensive medication. Controlled BP was defined as being on antihypertensive medication with a BP <140/90mmHg. Multiple imputation was used to estimate one or two missing BP readings. In total, 7,589 were screened, with a mean age of 41.3 years and 50.4% were female. Of all participants, 1,828 (24.1%) had hypertension, of whom 833 (45.6%) were aware, and 716 (39.2%) were on antihypertensive medication. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 421 (58.8%) had controlled BP, and of all participants with hypertension, 23.0% had controlled BP. The MMM campaign in Nepal identified a substantial number of participants with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. Despite a higher proportion of hypertension among males, their awareness, treatment, and control levels were significantly lower than that in females. This study highlights the need to strengthen community-based programs to enhance the continuum of hypertension detection and management.