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May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Angola
Savarino Victória Pereira1, Marisa Neto2, Ana Feijão1
1Serviço de Cardiologia-Hospital Américo Boavida, Avenida Hoji Ya Henda, Luanda, Angola.
Insights
May Measurement Month (MMM) screened 7112 Angolans for high blood pressure (BP), finding 38.6% had hypertension. Many remained undiagnosed or undertreated, highlighting the need for continued awareness and intervention programs.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Raised blood pressure (BP) is a leading global risk factor for disease and mortality.
- May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative addressing the lack of widespread BP screening.
- Hypertension awareness and management remain critical public health challenges worldwide.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of hypertension and awareness of diagnosis in Angola through the May Measurement Month (MMM) 2019 screening campaign.
- To evaluate the proportion of hypertensive individuals who are aware, treated, and controlled for their condition.
- To identify the extent of untreated or inadequately treated hypertension within the screened population.
Main Methods:
- An opportunistic cross-sectional survey conducted in May 2019 across 6 Angolan provinces.
- Screening of 7112 volunteers aged 18 years and older, following standard MMM blood pressure measurement protocols.
- Statistical analysis to determine hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment status, and control rates.
Main Results:
- Out of 7112 individuals screened, 38.6% (2745) had hypertension, with an average BP of 126/81 mmHg.
- Among those with hypertension, 59.8% were aware of their diagnosis, and 50.6% were on medication.
- Control rates were low: 41.2% among treated individuals and 20.8% overall. Approximately 2200 individuals had untreated or inadequately treated hypertension.
Conclusions:
- The Angolan May Measurement Month 2019 campaign identified a significant burden of hypertension, with a high percentage of untreated or inadequately treated cases.
- While MMM is effective in raising awareness, substantial work remains to improve hypertension diagnosis, treatment, and control in Angola.
- Continued screening initiatives and improved access to care are essential to mitigate the impact of hypertension in the region.
Abstract:
Raised blood pressure (BP) is the biggest risk factor that contributes to the global burden of disease and mortality. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative aimed to improved awareness of BP and has been a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in May 2019. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension, and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. In total, 7112 individuals were screened (mean age 41.3 years; 50.4% female; 99.5% black) in 6 of the 18 Angolan provinces. In total, 99.6% of screenees provided three BP readings with an average BP of the 2nd and 3rd readings of 126/81 mmHg. After imputation, 2745 (38.6%) had hypertension of whom 1389 (59.8%) were aware of their diagnosis and 50.6% were on antihypertensive medication. Of those 1389 treated participants, 41.2% were controlled (<140/90 mmHg) and of all hypertensive individuals, 20.8% were controlled. Also, 1356 individuals had untreated hypertension and 817 were inadequately treated. Angolan MMM19 follows on from the MMM17 (n = 17481) and MMM18 (n = 14433) studies, which were the largest BP screening campaigns undertaken in Angola. The 2019 results showed a high percentage of hypertensive individuals and almost 2200 adults had either untreated or inadequately treated hypertension, demonstrating that there is work to do but also that the Angolan MMM is being effective at raising awareness at least among these individuals.
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