Prévalence des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire au sein des communautés urbaine et rurale dans la Wilaya de Tlemcen (Algérie) : l’étude de deux communes

Demographic and Socioeconomic Predictors of Prehypertension and Hypertension in the Adult Population: Serbian National Health Survey

Background and Objectives: Prehypertension and hypertension are the most common cardiovascular disorders worldwide and are increasingly considered one of the most serious public health problems, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and demographic and socioeconomic predictors of prehypertension and hypertension in the adults in Serbia, and to examine the relationship between prehypertension and hypertension and health behavior determinants (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity) and individual aspects of health (a health self-assessment, multimorbidity, BMI, depressive symptoms). Materials and Methods: The research is part of the fourth National Population Health Survey conducted in 2019, which was conducted by the Republic Institute of Statistics, in cooperation with the Institute of Public Health of Serbia and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia. As a research instrument, questionnaires were used in accordance with the methodology of the European Health Survey. For the purposes of this research, data on the adult population aged 20 and over were used. Results: Women are at a reduced risk for both prehypertension (OR  =  0.328) and hypertension (OR = 0.349) by nearly 70%. Similarly, those aged below 60 years have a lower risk for prehypertension and those younger than 40 years have a lower risk for hypertension (OR = 0.995), whereas people with a lower education have a 4.3 times higher risk of prehypertension (OR = 4.323) and a 1.6 times higher risk of hypertension (OR =  1.614). The poor have a 1.4 times higher risk of prehypertension (OR = 1.413) and a 1 times higher risk of hypertension (OR = 1.035). People with multimorbidity have a 1.2 times higher risk of both prehypertension (OR = 1.218) and a 4.8 times higher risk of hypertension (OR = 4.867). Conclusions: Male gender, lower education, poverty, age and the presence of multimorbidity are significant predictors of prehypertension and hypertension in the Serbian adult population, so preventive strategies should be aimed at these sensitive population groups.

Prevalence and risk factors of prehypertension and hypertension in Algeria

Background

Hypertension, also referred to as the silent killer, is known to be one of the most common chronic diseases in the world today. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors of prehypertension and hypertension among Algerian population.

Methods

This is a descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study involving individuals aged 18 to 69 years old who were identified in the database of the national survey on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) risk factors conducted in Algeria between 2016 and 2017 using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) STEPwise approach.

Differences in prevalence between normotensives, prehypertensives and hypertensives were assessed using the chi-square test. We also looked at the role of numerous socio-demographic, economic, geographical, and behavioural factors in blood pressure status using a logistic regression model.

Results

The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension was 36.2% (95% confidence interval: 35.2–37.5%) and 31.6% (95% CI: 30.5–32.7%) respectively. Prehypertension was shown to be substantially higher in males than in women, while hypertension was found to be higher in females compared to men. In addition, both sexes had a rise in the prevalence of blood pressure as they grew older.

A according to multivariate logistic regression analysis, the main common risk factors for prehypertension and hypertension were ageing, obesity, and abdominal obesity. Moreover hypercholesterolemia, and marital status (separated/divorced) were correlated to hypertension.

Conclusion

Prehypertension and hypertension are high and epidemic in Algeria. Therefore, the urgent quantification and monitoring of their risk factors becomes a necessity to plan appropriate preventive measures, in order to fight against NCDs in general.

Cardiometabolic risk in Algeria: past and present

Algeria, like all emerging countries, has been going through a health transition over the past 30 years or so, characterized by a drop in mortality rates, an increase in life expectancy and a change in the causes of death in favor of chronic non-communicable diseases. In the past, the country mainly faced infectious diseases such as typhoid, cholera and malaria. The prevalence of the latter has been significantly reduced thanks to the many social health and vaccination programs undertaken by the health authorities. As a result of this epidemiological transition, we are witnessing a growing increase in the incidence of non-communicable diseases, mainly represented by cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and cancer. According to the results of the latest national survey on the measurement of risk factors for non-communicable diseases (the Who StepWise approach), the prevalence of diabetes is close to 14.4% while the rate of obesity and overweight exceeds 50% of the population. High blood pressure has reached a prevalence rate of 23.6%. These diseases represent a real threat to our country's health, social and economic situation; they will lead to greater demands on health facilities and require more resources for intervention.

Effectiveness of treatment of newly diagnosed hypertension in family medicine practices in South Croatia

BACKGROUND

Uncontrolled blood pressure remains an urgent issue in clinical practice worldwide. This study aimed to compare the characteristics and effectiveness of hypertension control in family medicine pratice in the first treatment year, in relation to the geographical position, socio-economic standard, and access to medical services and public pharmacies in urban, rural and island environments (city of Split vs. Dalmatian Hinterland vs. islands in Southern Croatia).

METHODS

A historical cohort study included 213 patients diagnosed from 2008 to 2014 with essential arterial hypertension (AH) and without related complications or diabetes mellitus. Each patient was followed up for 365 days from the visit when the diagnosis of hypertension was ascertained. Normotension was defined as arterial pressure < 140/90 mmHg. The annual cost of drugs prescribed for treating newly diagnosed hypertensive patient and the total price for defined daily dose per patient were also evaluated.

RESULTS

More than half patients achieved normotension within a year from the initial diagnosis in all family medicine practices (57.3%), without significant differences among the three geographic regions (P = 0.981). Higher initial systolic blood pressure was a positive predictive prognostic factor on achieveing normotension (odds ratio (OR) 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.95-0.98). ACE inhibitors were the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive agents in monotherapy (35.1%), as well as considering overall prescriptions (25.2%). Calcium channel blockers were the most commonly prescribed initial BP-lowering single agents in urban areas (28.6%), whereas angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were more common in rural (28.0%) and island areas (22.7%) (P = 0.037). The median annual antihypertensive drug cost was 169.4 (95% CI 151.5-201.8) Croatian kunas and was similar across the study sites.

CONCLUSION

Multiple antihypertensive drugs, prescribed in accordance with the guidelines, lead to similar pharmacological effects. Primary care physicians seem to be able to overcome potential interfering socio-economic factors and successfully achieve normotension in newly diagnosed patients with uncomplicated AH after 1 year of treatment.