Age-adjusted hypertension awareness, treatment and control in the population and control in treated hypertensive patients aged 35-64 in six European countries, Canada and the United States (source: Wolf-Maier et al., 2004)

Reproduction of Table 4 from Wolf-Maier et al., 2004. Reproduced with permission.

Remarks

Definitions used in the table above:

Hypertension: systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90mmHg or current use of antihypertensive medication.

Awareness: answering “yes” to the question “Have you ever been told that you have high blood pressure” among hypertensives, ie. those with systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or current use of antihypertensive medication.

Hypertension treatment: Use of antihypertensive medication among hypertensives, ie. those with systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or current use of antihypertensive medication.

Hypertension control in the population: Blood pressure <140/90 mmHg among hypertensives, ie. those with systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or current use of antihypertensive medication.

Hypertension control in treated hypertensives: Blood pressure <140/90 mmHg amongt those with antihypertensive medication.

Data originate from population-based, national surveys. Surveys were based either on random population samples of the entire nation or on a series of regional samples. None were restricted to a single region or province within a country. The number of participants in the different surveys ranged from 1823 (Sweden) to 23129 (Canada).

The response rate varied from 61% (Germany) to 87.5% (England).

The age distribution in the original surveys varied from 35 to 64 years (Spain) to 18 to 80 years (United States).

The surveys were conducted at different points in time from 1986 to 1999.

Blood pressure measurements were obtained using a mercury sphygmomanometer in all surveys except for England, where an automatic, electronic measurement device was used.

At least two blood pressure measurements were performed in all surveys. The time interval between the two measurements was 1 to 3 minutes in all surveys, except Canada, where 10 to 60 minutes passed between both measurements. Prevalences presented in this figure are based on the second measurement.

For comparison of mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the European vs. the North American countries, mean blood pressure measurements were averaged using each country as a single unit.

For a more detailed overview of the survey characteristics per country see the data source for this presentation: Wolf-Maier et al., 2004.