May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Nigeria

May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Nigeria

There is a need to constantly assess the awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Nigeria. This study determined the frequency of undiagnosed hypertension across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. We conducted an opportunistic screening of adults aged at least 18 years in the month of May 2021. Participants were recruited by trained volunteers using the May Measurement Month protocol. Blood pressure (BP) was measured using validated digital sphygmomanometers. We defined hypertension as systolic BP ≥ 140 and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg and/or the use of BP-lowering medications. A total of 9361 participants (51.5% females) with a mean age of 40.7 ± 15.5 years were screened. Hypertension was present in 3192 (34.1%) of the participants. About half (1491, 46.7%) of the hypertensives were unaware of the diagnosis. Among the 3192 participants with hypertension, less than half (1540, 48.2%) were on antihypertensive medications, while only 36.4% of those on antihypertensive medications had their BP controlled (<140/90 mmHg). About one-third of Nigerians in this opportunistic screening had hypertension, with about half of them being unaware of their diagnosis while only about two out of every five on antihypertensive medications had controlled BP. Urgent health actions are needed in Nigeria to reduce the burden of hypertension and its complications.

Care Cascades for Hypertension in Low-Income Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The hypertension care cascade (HCC) is increasingly being used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. This systematic review aims to examine HCC in low-income settings. Methods: The search strategy included articles published between January 2010 and April 2023. We excluded studies with incomplete HCC, on fragile patients or aged <18 years, reviews. We used the MOOSE guideline. Five researchers retrieved data on the survey year, country, population, HCC and diagnostic methods for hypertension. We used JBI Critical Appraisal Tools for quality assessment. Results: Ninety-five articles were analyzed. Average hypertension prevalence was 33% (95% CI: 31%-34%), lower in LICs than in LMICs (25% vs. 34%). The overall mean awareness of hypertension was 48% (95% CI: 45%-51%), its treatment was 35% (95% IC: 32%-38%) and its control 16% (95% CI: 14%-18%). In almost all steps, percentages were lower in LICs and in Sub-Saharan Africa. Conclusion: Trends in HCC vary between countries, with poorer performance in LICs. This review highlights the need for interventions tailored to low-income settings in order to improve hypertension care.

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Nigeria

The aim of this study is to estimate the frequency of undetected hypertension across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. We conducted an opportunistic screening of adults aged at least 18 years in the month of May 2019. Participants were recruited by trained volunteers using the May Measurement Month protocol. Blood pressure (BP) was measured using validated digital and mercury sphygmomanometers. We defined hypertension as BP ≥140/90 mmHg or the use of BP-lowering medication. A total of 3646 participants (52.8% females) with a mean age of 44.5 ± 15.7 years were screened. Hypertension was present in 39.2% of the participants but only 55. 4% of these were on antihypertensive medications. Only 46.8% hypertensives who were on medications had their BP controlled (<140/90 mmHg). Previous history of hypertension in pregnancy, alcohol intake and smoking were associated with increased mean systolic and diastolic BPs. The frequency of Nigerians with hypertension is high while only about half of those on antihypertensive medications are controlled. A multi-pronged approach to reduce the burden of hypertension is needed.