SCIENCE@home

Prevalence of hypertension in rural populations from Ibero-America and the Caribbean.

A. Díaz,Matías Tringler

Published 2014 in Rural and remote health

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION Hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors are widespread in developing countries, but little is known about cardiovascular risk profiles in rural communities from Ibero-America and the Caribbean. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the peer-reviewed literature published from 1990 to 2012 relating to the prevalence of hypertension in rural populations from Ibero-America and the Caribbean. METHODS A bibliographic search was conducted in MEDLINE, SCIELO and LILACS databases. Included were population-based studies in which prevalence of hypertension in adults was reported. RESULTS A total of 30 peer-reviewed publications were identified that reported the prevalence of hypertension in 33 143 patients. The crude hypertension prevalence reported from rural Ibero-America was 32.6% (95% confidence interval: 31.4-32.5%; range: 1.8-52%). The prevalence of hypertension was lower in aboriginal populations than in other rural communities (19.5% vs 36%). Only nine studies assessed the awareness, treatment, and level of control of hypertension (means 54%, 57%, and 14% respectively). The most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors were abdominal obesity (39%) and overweight (39%). CONCLUSIONS Hypertension is of public health importance in rural Ibero-America and the Caribbean, with evidence of considerable under-diagnosis, treatment, and control. There is an urgent need to develop strategies to prevent, detect, treat, and control hypertension effectively in this region.

PUBLICATION RECORD

CITATION MAP

EXTRACTION MAP

CLAIMS

  • No claims are published for this paper.

CONCEPTS

  • No concepts are published for this paper.

REFERENCES

Showing 1-42 of 42 references · Page 1 of 1

CITED BY

Showing 1-11 of 11 citing papers · Page 1 of 1