AUTHOR=Cífková Renata , Bruthans Jan , Strilchuk Larysa , Wohlfahrt Peter , Krajčoviechová Alena , Šulc Pavel , Jozífová Marie , Eremiášová Lenka , Pudil Jan , Linhart Aleš , Widimský Jiří , Filipovský Jan , Mayer Otto , Škodová Zdenka , Lánská Věra 

TITLE=Longitudinal trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the Czech population. Are there any sex differences?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2022.1033606

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2022.1033606

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=Background: Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease substantially increasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite the broad availability of antihypertensive medication, control of hypertension is not satisfactory worldwide.  
Objective: The study aim was to assess longitudinal trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in a representative population sample of the Czech Republic from 1985 to 2016/2017, focusing on sex differences.
Methods: A total of 7,606 males and 8,050 females aged 25 – 64 years were screened for major CV risk factors in seven independent cross-sectional surveys conducted in the same six country districts of the Czech Republic between 1985 and 2016/2017. The population samples were randomly selected.
Results: Over a period of 31/32 years, there was a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both sexes, whereas the prevalence of hypertension declined only in women. There was an increase in hypertension awareness in both sexes over the entire study period with consistently higher rates in women. The proportion of individuals treated with antihypertensive drugs increased significantly in both sexes throughout the study, again with consistently higher rates in women. Control of hypertension increased significantly over the study period with consistently higher rates in women. The age-adjusted trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypertension were significantly different in men and women, always in favor of women. The age-adjusted trends in control of hypertension in treated patients were equally poor in both sexes.
Conclusions: There are significant differences in longitudinal trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension between men and women, always in favor of women except for the control of hypertension in treated patients, where it is equally poor in both sexes.