title: Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension in the Southern Cone of Latin America.
abstract: Hypertension is the leading global preventable risk factor for premature death. While hypertension prevalence has been declining in high-income countries, it has increased continuously in low- and middle-income countries.
  
  
  
  We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 7,524 women and men aged 35-74 years from randomly selected samples in 4 cities (Bariloche and Marcos Paz, Argentina; Temuco, Chile; and Pando-Barros Blancos, Uruguay) in 2010-2011. Three blood pressure (BP) measurements were obtained by trained observers using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. Hypertension was defined as a mean systolic BP ≥140mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥90mm Hg and/or use of antihypertensive medications.
  
  
  
  An estimated 42.5% of the study population (46.6% of men and 38.7% of women) had hypertension and an estimated 32.5% (36.0% of men and 29.4% of women) had prehypertension. Approximately 63.0% of adults with hypertension (52.5% of men and 74.3% of women) were aware of their disease condition, 48.7% (36.1% of men and 62.1% of women) were taking prescribed medications to lower their BP, and only 21.1% of all hypertensive patients (13.8% of men and 28.9% of women) and 43.3% of treated hypertensive patients (38.1% of men and 46.5% of women) achieved BP control.
  
  
  
  This study indicates that the prevalence of hypertension is high while awareness, treatment, and control are low in the general population in the Southern Cone of Latin America. These data call for bold actions at regional and national levels to implement effective, practical, and sustainable intervention programs aimed to improve hypertension prevention, detection, and control.
authors.affiliation: Southern American Center of Excellence for Cardiovascular Health, Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Adolfo L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rubinstein
authors.affiliation: Southern American Center of Excellence for Cardiovascular Health, Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Vilma E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Irazola
authors.affiliation: Sanatorio San Carlos, Bariloche, Pcia de Río Negro, Argentina.
authors.forename: Matias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calandrelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Chung-Shiuan
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Southern American Center of Excellence for Cardiovascular Health, Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.affiliation: CIGES, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lanas
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Manfredi
authors.affiliation: Municipalidad de Marcos Paz, Pcia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mores
authors.affiliation: Southern American Center of Excellence for Cardiovascular Health, Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Rosana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poggio
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ponzo
authors.affiliation: CIGES, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seron
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Lydia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bazzano
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001364:Awareness; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058246:Prehypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013020:South America / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Latin America; blood pressure; cross-sectional survey; hypertension; hypertension control; prevalence; risk factors.