Lack of effective blood pressure control among an elder hypertensive population in Buenos Aires

Am J Hypertens. 1998 Aug;11(8 Pt 1):1024-7. doi: 10.1016/s0895-7061(98)00043-0.

Abstract

Our purpose was to determine the level of awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in a population of subjects aged 65 or more. We studied a random sample from the national health care program in Buenos Aires. Letters were mailed to 1000 selected individuals. Among those eligible, 41.4% (n = 414) were enrolled. The mean age was 73.8 years and 68% were women. Prevalence of hypertension in our sample was 77.5% (n = 321). Awareness of hypertension was 60.7% (n = 195). Fifty-four percent (n = 173) of the hypertensive subjects were receiving pharmacologic treatment and only 18.5% (n = 32) of them were controlled. These results show that there is a low level of awareness, pharmacologic treatment, and control of hypertension in the studied elderly subjects.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antihypertensive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / drug therapy*
  • Male

Substances

  • Antihypertensive Agents