Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension in Hormozgan Province, Iran

Background: Hypertension is an important cause of stroke and heart and kidney diseases, which account for nearly two-thirds of all mortalities worldwide. Studies conducted in different provinces of Iran have shown that hypertension is common in the country. However, awareness, treatment, and control rates of the disease have been reported to be low in developing countries. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Hormozgan province. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 5065 participants older than 18 years. A questionnaire was completed and blood pressure was measured according to the ESC/ESH 2018 guidelines. Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) >= 140 mmHg, diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) >= 90 mmHg, or receiving any antihypertensive treatment was considered to be hypertension. The data were analyzed using logistic regression, odds ratio, chi-square, and descriptive statistics. Results: The prevalence of hypertension in Hormozgan province was 23.2%. Only 28.3% of the participants were aware of their hypertension; 17.6% were treated and only 7.2% had controlled hypertension. Hypertension was more prevalent in urban areas (28.8% versus 18.1%), but more controlled among the rural population (13.2% vs. 2.4%). The frequency of hypertension increased from 6.2% to 58.9% in 20 - 29 age group compared to the cases older than 70 years, which indicated a linear trend between the increased risk of hypertension and advanced age. Conclusion: The results showed that hypertension was more prevalent in urban areas in south of Iran. Indeed, nearly less than 30% of the participants were aware of their disease and less than 4% of urban population were controlled. On the contrary, almost 13% of the rural population, particularly females, had controlled hypertension.