Key result
Opportunistic screening identifies hypertension in ~41% of adults, with substantial untreated and uncontrolled disease.
Why the study?
Hypertension is a growing burden in Brazzaville with high prevalence and mortality, and there is a lack of screening programmes worldwide.
Cross-Sectional (n=3,842)
Yes
Opportunistic screening in Brazzaville identified a high prevalence of hypertension (41.0%), with significant proportions remaining untreated or uncontrolled despite medication.
Opportunistic screening reveals high untreated and uncontrolled HT in Brazzaville; leaves open whether expanded programs improve awareness and control in similar settings.
Hypertension (HT) is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10 million deaths each year. In Brazzaville, the prevalence of HT was 32.5% in 2004. The mortality for stroke in 2008 and heart failure in 2013 were, respectively, 24% and 20.2%. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative initiated by the International Society of Hypertension aimed at raising awareness of HT and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes worldwide. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in May 2017. Blood pressure (BP) measurement, the definition of HT and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. The screening was carried out in Brazzaville, and the screening sites were distributed in different districts of the city in public places and health facilities. A total of 3842 individuals were screened during MMM17. After multiple imputations, 1576 (41.0%) had HT. About 956 (29.7%) individuals not receiving anti-hypertensive medication, were hypertensive. Four hundred and nine (66.0%) individuals receiving anti-hypertensive medication, had uncontrolled BP. Systolic and diastolic BPs after adjustment for age and sex differed significantly in association with use of anti-hypertensive medication (P < 0.0001), previous stroke (P = 0.001 for systolic), and waist circumference (P < 0.0001). MMM17 was the largest BP screening campaign undertaken in Congo. Almost one-third of screenees had untreated HT, and two-thirds of treated hypertensives were not well controlled. These results suggest that opportunistic screening can identify significant numbers with raised BP.
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Mbolla et al. (2019) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=3,842). Opportunistic blood pressure screening was evaluated on Prevalence of hypertension. Opportunistic blood pressure screening identified hypertension in 41.0% of participants; 29.7% of untreated individuals were hypertensive and 66.0% of treated individuals had uncontrolled BP.
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