title: [Prevalence of hypertension in El-Menia oasis, Algeria, and metabolic characteristics in population].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  El-Menia is an oasis located in the middle of Algerian Sahara. The drinking water in this oasis has low sodium content. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of hypertension, to describe the metabolic characteristics of population study and to assess the factors associated with blood pressure levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study was conducted in 2010. Subjects (n=722) were selected from individuals aged 40 years or older by random cluster sampling. Blood pressure measurements, combined with a clinical questionnaire, and standard blood samples for the detection of dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus, were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-seven percent of subjects were females and 18% were black. The mean age was 58.5 ± 13.2 years. The prevalence of hypertension was 50.2%: 49.7% in females and 51.3% in males. The factors associated with presence of hypertension following a logistic multivariate regression were age, skin colour, waist circumference, and plasma glucose. The treatment and control of hypertension were 41% and 20% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence oh hypertension was high in this oasis and the rate of treatment control was low. Our findings suggest that appropriate healthcare should be given to hypertensive subjects, including a better information on hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Département de médecine, faculté de médecine, université Saad Dahlab de Blida, 9000 Blida, Algérie. hamidafarah@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hamida
authors.forename: M-L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Atif
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Temmar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chibane
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bezzaoucha
authors.forename: M-T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bouafia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000462:Algeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055105:Waist Circumference
keywords: Algerian Sahara; Antihypertensive treatment; Couleur de peau; Hypertension; Hypertension artérielle; Prevalence; Prévalence; Sahara algérien; Skin colour; Traitement antihypertenseur