[Arterial hypertension in immigrant patients in Spanish primary health care]

To evaluate the arterial hypertension (AHT) prevalence in a wide sample of immigrant patients.

A transversal and multicentric study that has included immigrant patients aged 18 years or more, consecutive sampling recruitment in primary healthcare consultations. The patient was defined with AHT hypertension when the average of 6 measurements in 3 visits (2 measurements per visit) was > or = 140 mmHg for the systolic blood pressure and/or 90 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure or if the patient had been previously diagnosed.

1,424 immigrants were followed-up (53.1% women) with average age (standard deviation) of 42.8 (13.1) years and mean stay in our country of 5.6 (5.7) years. Most of the patients' origin was Central and South America (40.2%) and Eastern Europe (21.9%). The prevalence of AHT was 31.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 30.1-32.7%), of which the 62.1% where known patients. Patients coming from Asia showed a significant higher prevalence of AHT (40.0%; 95% CI, 38.7-41.3).

Three of each 10 immigrant patients have AHT. There are significant differences according to the gender, the origin and period of residence of these patients.