Journal
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE & CARDIOVASCULAR PREVENTION
Volume 24, Issue 2, Pages 193-200Publisher
ADIS INT LTD
DOI: 10.1007/s40292-017-0201-8
Keywords
Blood pressure; Time trends; High blood pressure; Italian population
Categories
Funding
- Italian Association of Hospital Cardiologists-Heart Care Foundation (ANMCO-HCF)
- Joint Action of the European Health Examination Survey
- Italian Ministry of Health, Centre of Disease Control (CCM)
- Studio di fattibilita per la realizzazione de Il Progetto CUORE-Epidemiologia e Prevenzione delle Malattie Cardiovascolari
- MINISAL-GIRCSI - Buone Pratiche sull'Alimentazione: Valutazione del Contenuto di Sodio, Potassio e Iodio nella Dieta degli Italiani
- Azioni relative alla Riduzione del Consumo di Sale in Italia: Verifica delle Ricadute dell'Accordo con i Panificatori e Programma MENO SALE PIU SALUTE
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Introduction High blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The urgency of the problem was underlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, which recommends a 25% relative reduction in the prevalence of raised BP by 2020. A surveillance system represents a useful tool to monitor BP in the general population. Since 1980s, the National Institute of Health has conducted several surveys of the adult general population, measuring cardiovascular risk factors by standardized procedures and methods. Aim To describe mean BP levels and high BP prevalence from 1978 to 2012 by sex and quinquennia of age. Methods Data were derived from the following three studies: (i) Risk Factors and Life Expectancy (RIFLE), conducted between 1978 and 2002 in 13 Italian regions ([70,000 persons); (ii) Osservatorio Epidemiologico Cardiovascolare (OEC), conducted between 1998-2002 in the general population from all Italian regions (>9000 persons); and (iii) Osservatorio Epidemiologico Cardiovascolare/Health Examination Survey (OEC/HES), conducted between 2008-2012 in the general population from all Italian regions (>9000 persons). Results A significant decrease in mean systolic and diastolic BP levels and prevalence of high BP from 1978 to 2012 was observed both in men and women. BP and high BP increased by age classes in all considered periods. BP awareness and control also improved. Conclusion Our data suggest that BP control could be achieved by 2020, as recommended by WHO.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available