title: Trends in prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, and the risk of mortality among middle-aged Lithuanian urban population in 1983-2009.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterial hypertension (AH) is a main risk factor for the risk from cardiovascular (CVD) and stroke mortality. Only few data was published on prevalence, awareness and management of AH in Lithuania. Development of objective approaches to the treatment and control of AH reduces the risk of mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate time trends, the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of AH and risk of mortality among Lithuanian urban population aged 45-64 years during the period of 1983-2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Time trends of AH and risk of mortality were examined in three MONICA health surveys in 1983, 1986, 1992, and in one health survey according to MONICA protocol in 2002 included randomly recruited of 2,218 men and 2,491 women. AH was defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP of ≥90 mmHg or current use of antihypertensive medication. The main outcome measures were all-cause mortality, mortality from CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. The mean duration of follow-up was 11.8 ± 9.2 years. All survey periods were age standardized to the year 2006 of Kaunas population. The estimates of hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval were based on the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In men during 1983-2002 period hypertension prevalence was 52.1-58.7% and did not significantly change whereas in women decreased from 61.0 to 51.0%. There was a significant increase in hypertension awareness among hypertensive men and women (45.0 to 64.4% and 47.7 to 72.3%, respectively) and in treated hypertensives (55.4 to 68.3% in men and 65.6 to 86.2% in women). Adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression analyses revealed a strong dose-response association between blood-pressure level and all-cause, CVD, CHD and stroke-mortality risk in both men and women groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Lithuanian urban population the prevalence of hypertension remains high. Despite positive changes in hypertension awareness and treatment, hypertension control remains poor. A strong dose-response association between the level of BP and all-cause, CVD, CHD and stroke mortality risk was indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Studies, Institute of Cardiology, Academy of Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Sukileliu 17, Kaunas, LT-50140, Lithuanian. regina.reklaitiene@med.kmu.lt
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reklaitiene
authors.forename: Abdonas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamosiunas
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Virviciute
authors.forename: Migle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baceviciene
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luksiene
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001364:Awareness; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002423:Cause of Death; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents