title: Low rates of detection and treatment of hypertension among current cigarette smokers.
abstract: This report analysed data from the Health Survey for England 1994 to evaluate blood pressure (BP) management in relation to cigarette smoking. Data were analysed for 12 013 adults aged > or = 16 years living in England in 1994. Among 2280 subjects with BP > or = 160/95 mm Hg or treated with BP-lowering medication, rates of awareness were 63% in never-smokers, 66% in ex-smokers and 51% in current smokers. After adjusting for age, sex, housing tenure, educational attainment, and systolic and diastolic BP, the relative odds of hypertension awareness for smokers, compared with never-smokers, were 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.49 to 0.82, P < 0.001. In the same group, the rates of BP treatment were 50% in never-smokers, 53% in ex-smokers and 36% in current smokers (odds ratio 0.64, 0.49 to 0.84, P = 0.001). In 4500 subjects with BP > or = 140/90 mm Hg or treated, there was also strong evidence that current smokers were less likely to be aware of their high BP or treated. In this group, ex-smokers were more likely than never-smokers to be aware (odds ratio 1.23, 1.06 to 1.42, P = 0.006) or treated for high BP (odds ratio 1.25, 1.06 to 1.47, P = 0.009). Detection and treatment of high BP are particularly relevant in subjects who continue to smoke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, King's College London, Capital House, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, UK. martin.gulliford@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gulliford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012907:Smoking; D016540:Smoking Cessation
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents