The new 2017 ACC/AHA guideline for classification of hypertension: changes in prevalence of hypertension among adults in Bangladesh

We analyzed the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011 data to examine absolute differences in hypertension prevalence according to the hypertension definition of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (2017 ACC/AHA) Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults and Seventh Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC7) 2003 guidelines. Among 7839 participants >= 35 years, the JNC7 and 2017 ACC/AHA classified 25.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 24.5-27.0%) and 48.0% (95% CI: 46.4-49.7%) people hypertensive, respectively. The JNC7 prevalence was 19.4% (95% CI: 18.0-21.0%) among males and 31.9% (95% CI: 30.1-33.6%) among females. The prevalence was 41.4% (95% CI: 39.4-43.5%) among males and 54.5% (95% CI: 52.4-56.4%) among females as per the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline. From JNC7 to 2017 ACC/AHA, the overall difference in prevalence was 22.3% (95% CI: 19.8-24.8%). Males and females had similar differences, 22.0% (95% CI: 18.3-25.7%) and 22.6% (95% CI: 19.4-26.0%), respectively. As per the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline, >50% prevalence was observed among people with body mass index >= 25kg/m(2), college-level education, co-morbid diabetes, richest wealth quintile, females, age >= 55 years, urban residence, or living in Khulna, Rangpur or Dhaka divisions; the absolute difference was >20% in most categories. We found a substantial increase in the prevalence of hypertension due to change in blood pressure thresholds as per the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline. We recommend conducting more comprehensive population-based studies to estimate the recent burden of hypertension in Bangladesh. Future studies should estimate similar prevalence in other countries.