title: Prehypertension and undiagnosed hypertension in a sample of dental school female patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to assess prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension in a sample of female dental patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 208 consecutive female patients aged ≥ 18 years provided information about sociodemographics, history of hypertension and other systemic diseases, antihypertension medication use and smoking history. Two blood pressure measurements were taken by a dentist and the average measurement was utilized in the present analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the study sample was 38 (±13) years. Thirty-seven per cent of the sample had prehypertension (ranging between 120/80 and 139/89 mmHg). High blood pressure (HBP) measurement (≥140/90 mmHg) was recorded on 18% of the study population. Of those, 66% were unaware of their HBP prior to their dental visit (represent 12% of the study sample). The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure of those with elevated blood pressure were 154 (±16) and 94 (±12), respectively. Furthermore, 26% of those 30 years of age or older had HBP measurements. History of hypertension was reported by 13% of the study sample. Of those, 48% had HBP measurement. The use of antihypertension medications was reported by 10%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a high prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and prehypertension in the present sample. These results underscore the importance of routine blood pressure measurements in the dental clinics.
authors.affiliation: Division of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. msalzahrani@kau.edu.sa
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Al-Zahrani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003729:Dental Care / Q000379:methods*; D003740:Dental Clinics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D058246:Prehypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012575:Schools, Dental; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult