title: Changes in the patterns of blood pressure treatment in North America from 1960-1990.
abstract: Seven North American surveys investigation a total of 241,725 hypertensives conducted between 1960-90 were reviewed with respect to their treatment status. In 1960 and 1970 nearly half of hypertensives were unaware of their condition and only 16% were treated and well-controlled. During the time period between 1970-1990 the proportion of the 'unaware' respondents declined to 16%, while the proportion of treated and well controlled patients increased to more than 40%. The proportion of those who are treated but the blood pressure fails to be controlled by the therapy to a satisfactory degree remained essentially unchanged, at around 16%. The proportion of those who are aware of their hypertension but are not treated shows a moderately decreasing trend, still representing 16% of all hypertensives in a recent Canadian survey. Although the handling of hypertension as a public health problem is largely successful, one third of patients still don't receive optimal therapy or is not treated at all.
authors.affiliation: Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Fodor
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chalati
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chockalingam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D002170:Canada; D002309:Cardiology / Q000639:trends; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States