title: Awareness, attitude, and distribution of high blood pressure among health professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  BP control is suboptimal Worldwide. Little is known about attitudes of health professionals toward their BP status.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate awareness, attitudes, and distribution of blood pressure among health professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study was conducted among health professionals in two tertiary hospitals in Riyadh, KSA during December 2010. Socio-demographics, risk factors for high BP, awareness, and adherence to treatment were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred and seventy-two subjects, 66.6% females, mean age 36.2 + 13.9 years. Prevalence of Hypertension (HTN) was 28%. 114 (60.6%) patients had self reported HTN in HTN group while 74 (11%) of total study population, were not aware that they have HTN which was detected on screening. Stress and lack of formal exercise were prevalent risk factors for HTN, present in 44.1% and 36.1%, of patients, respectively, while obesity was present in 19.4%. Many participants were not aware of recently recommended target value of blood pressure. 22.3% patients were irregular for their follow-up. 12.2% patients were not adherent to the treatment. Isolated systolic hypertension was more common in men. A point of serious concern was that relatively young health professionals, who were not known to be hypertensive did not monitor their BP, found to have HTN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suboptimal awareness and lack of adherence to the treatment for BP among health professionals is of serious concern, for increased chances of cardiovascular events. Physical exercise, correction of obesity and compliance with treatment may reduce the risk of HTN-related adverse outcome in this special subset of the population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Khalid Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmed H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mitwalli
authors.forename: Ahmed Al
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Harthi
authors.forename: Hussam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitwalli
authors.forename: Ayman Al
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Juwayed
authors.forename: Noura Al
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Turaif
authors.forename: Mohammed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mitwalli
keywords: Awareness; Cardiovascular disease; Health professionals; High blood pressure; Saudi Arabia