title: Prevalence and control of hypertension in Latvia.
abstract: The analysis of four epidemiological Data bases (Dbases)-randomized populations of Latvia (country), Riga (city), Kuldiga (countryside) and Dbase of WHO questionnaire 'Hypertension and control' is presented. Extremely high prevalence of arterial hypertension (AH) is demonstrated in three samples of population. Close relationship between overweight and AH, hypercholesterol and AH in city and village population is shown. Our research provides the data about the relationship between the prevalence of AH and socioeconomic factors (education, income per capita, marital status and occupation) as well. The analyses of blood pressure (BP) measurement rate in population reveals it to be unacceptably low. Most widely prescribed antihypertensive drugs are diuretics and ACEIs. The analysis of drug intake demonstrates the low rate of regular pharmacological treatment. An opinion of physicians on drug intake pattern of their patients is far from reality. Only 17.5% of hypertensives among those with drug intake have their target BP <140/90 mmHg.
authors.affiliation: Latvian Institute of Cardiology, Riga, Latvia. dzerve@lki.eunet.lv
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dzerve
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Britcina
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pakhomova
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Markovitcha
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rinkuzs
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mitjusheva
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007844:Latvia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents