title: Prevalence of hypertension among the elderly Malays living in rural Malaysia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We are living in an ageing world. The prevalence of hypertension which is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke increases with age. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension among the elderly Malays living in rural parts of north Malaysia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted among the elderly (aged ≥60) Malay residents living in 22 villages in a northwestern state called Kedah in Malaysia from 2007 to 2009. Kedah has one of the highest rates of elderly population in the country. Data was collected by trained research assistants. Besides the baseline demographic information, blood pressure was measured using standardised methods using a manual sphygmomanometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 97.7%. The prevalence of hypertension among the elderly in these villages was 54.5% (228), 118 (28.2%) were known to be hypertensive and were on medication and an additional 110 (26.3%) respondents were newly diagnosed. Elevated mean systolic (146.17 ± 25.23) and diastolic (89.68 ± 15.60) blood pressure was noted among the known hypertensive. There was an almost fourfold risk (OR 3.64) of having uncontrolled blood pressure among the known hypertensive on treatment. Those with malnutrition were at an almost twofold at risk of being hypertensive (OR 1.73). Binary logistics regression showed occupation (OR 1.65), marital status (OR 2.32) and body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.62) as significant predictor variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screening the elderly for hypertension will benefit this group of people by reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with this condition.
authors: Penang Medical College.
authors: Ak
authors: A
authors: Rashid
authors: Am
authors: A
authors: Azizah
keywords: Elderly; Malaysia; hypertension; rural
references: J Hypertens. 2006 Jan;24(1):51-8
references: 16331101
references: Physiol Rev. 1978 Apr;58(2):397-460
references: 347471
references: Am J Epidemiol. 1995 Jun 15;141(12):1117-27
references: 7771450
references: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2009 Feb;64(2):256-63
references: 19181717
references: Am J Public Health. 2003 Feb;93(2):226-31
references: 12554574
references: J Hypertens. 2003 Jul;21(7):1273-81
references: 12817173
references: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000;(2):CD000028
references: 10796688
references: J Hum Hypertens. 2006 Feb;20(2):97-9
references: 16251999
references: Psychosom Med. 2003 Jul-Aug;65(4):558-63
references: 12883105
references: Singapore Med J. 1991 Oct;32(5):338-41
references: 1788580
references: Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2006 May-Jun;42(3):339-50
references: 16289366
references: Malays J Nutr. 2004 Mar;10(1):5-11
references: 22691743
references: Hypertension. 2005 Jan;45(1):142-61
references: 15611362
references: Med J Malaysia. 2003 Oct;58(4):556-64
references: 15190632
references: Am J Geriatr Cardiol. 2002 Jul-Aug;11(4):223-32
references: 12091771
references: Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Jul 1;162(1):49-56
references: 15961586
references: Singapore Med J. 2003 Feb;44(2):65-73
references: 14503779
references: J Hum Hypertens. 2000 Oct-Nov;14(10-11):749-63
references: 11095165
references: Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(2):338-45
references: 17468092
references: Hypertension. 2007 Jan;49(1):69-75
references: 17159087
references: Hypertens Res. 2010 Dec;33(12):1223-31
references: 20882026
references: Rural Remote Health. 2010 Apr-Jun;10(2):1225
references: 20373843
references: Lancet. 1964 May 23;1(7343):1117-20
references: 14132624
references: Arq Bras Cardiol. 2001 Jul;77(1):9-21
references: 11500744
references: J Hypertens. 2003 Apr;21(4):707-16
references: 12658016
references: Psychosom Med. 2007 Jul-Aug;69(6):509-13
references: 17634565