Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Bissau, Western Africa

Hypertension is the leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In Guinea-Bissau there are no previous population-based hypertension surveys. Therefore, the authors aimed to estimate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of high blood pressure among adults living in Bissau. A sample (n = 973) of dwellers in Bissau, aged 18-69 years, was assembled through stratified and cluster sampling. Patients underwent face-to-face interviews and blood pressure measurements following the World Health Organization Stepwise Approach to Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance. The prevalence of hypertension was 26.9%, and 51.4% of hypertensive individuals were aware of their condition, of whom 51.8% reported having received pharmacological treatment in the previous 2 weeks. Among the latter, 49.9% had blood pressure values below 140/90 mm Hg. These findings show that hypertension has become a major public health problem in Guinea-Bissau, emphasizing the urgent need to develop and implement national strategies for the prevention and management of hypertension.