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Hypertension prevalent among older adults in low- and middle-income countries
Adults aged at least 50 years who live in low- and middle-income countries have a high prevalence of hypertension and lower rates of treatment and effective BP control, according to findings in a recent report.
Researchers evaluated data collected from 35,125 patients enrolled in the WHO Study on Global Aging and Adult Health (SAGE), which assessed hypertension prevalence, awareness and treatment from 2007 to 2010 among patients aged at least 50 years in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, the Russian Federation and South Africa.
The prevalence of hypertension (systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg/diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg) was 52.9% among all study participants and ranged from 32.3% in India to 77.9% in South Africa. According to the researchers, prevalence rates are “broadly comparable to those of developed countries.”
“High prevalence among older adults in South Africa and Ghana raises the possibility that all countries across sub-Saharan Africa may already be experiencing globally unprecedented rates of hypertension,” the researchers wrote.
Adults with hypertension were more likely to be older, women, overweight or obese, heavy alcohol consumers and be classified in the lowest wealth quintile. The researchers reported an inverse association between hypertension and higher education level in all countries, excluding Ghana and India.
Hypertension awareness was low in all countries studied (48.3%). Awareness rates were lower than 45% in all countries, except the Russian Federation, and ranged from 23.3% in Ghana to 72.1% in the Russian Federation. Low awareness was associated with increasing age, female sex and overweight or obesity.
Rates of controlled hypertension also were low, according to the researchers. Across the countries studied, 10.2% of adults had controlled hypertension (treatment plus BP <140 mm Hg/90 mm Hg). Rates ranged from 4.1% in Ghana to 14.1% in India. Treatment efficacy was reported in 26.3% of adults and ranged from 17.4% in the Russian Federation to 55.2% in India. Effective control of hypertension was associated with advanced age, female sex and classification in the richest quintile, whereas obesity was associated with poorer control.
“As with other major epidemics, such as HIV/AIDS, responding to the global crisis of hypertension requires multiple strategies, including awareness-raising, primary prevention and medication. If global and national efforts are not transformed with immediate effect, the potential consequences for the health and well-being of people in [low- and middle-income countries] will be catastrophic,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.