title: [Prevalence of arterial hypertension and drawbacks of antihypertensive therapy in Irkutsk region].
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the level of awareness, quality of treatment and control of arterial hypertension (AH) and to analyse results of antihypertensive therapy in rural and distant areas of Irkutsk region. A total of 560 residents of these areas aged 19-95 (mean 60.3 +/- 13.6) years (148 men and 412 women) were examined from October 2004 till December 2005. They were people in whom screening studies revealed arterial pressure (AP) > = 140/90 mm Hg and/or intake of antihypertensive drugs (AHD). On the average, 78.2% of them (95% CI = 74.8-81.8%) were aware of their elevated AP, the mean AHD intake rate was 71.3% (95% CI = 67.6-75.1%). A drop of AP to < 140/90 mm Hg was achieved only in 3.8% of the subjects using AHD. The frequency of intake of AHD of different pharmacological classes (in percentage of subjects using them) was 65.4% for ACE inhibitors, 26.3% for beta-blockers, 24.1% for diuretics. AHD of previous generations (drugs with central myotropic activity, spasmolytics) were used by 19.6% of the subjects, calcium antagonists by 15.8%. Monotherapy was reported by 61.9% and combined therapy by 38.1%. It is concluded that overall quality of AH control in residents of rural and distant areas is rather poor despite a relatively high level of awareness of AH and frequency of its treatment. This situation is related to low efficiency of antihypertensive therapy attributable to poor compliance with recommendations of international societies of cardiologists as regards the choice of optimal starting treatment, to the predominance of monotherapy, and rare use of long-acting AHDs or rational combinations of AHDs.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Sin'kov
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sin'kova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012800:Siberia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents