World Hypertension Day 2021 in Italy: Results of a Nationwide Survey

Hypertension is the biggest contributor to the global burden of cardiovascular diseases and related death, but the rates of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control remain largely perfectible.

During the XVII World Hypertension Day (May 17th, 2021), a nationwide cross-sectional opportunistic study endorsed by the Italian Society of Hypertension was conducted on volunteer adults ≥ 18 years to raise awareness of high blood pressure (BP). A questionnaire on major demographic/clinical features (sex, age, employment, education, BP status awareness, hypertension family/personal history, antihypertensive medications use) and BP measurement habits (≥1 BP measurement in the previous month/week) was administered. Due to the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, BP was measured with standard procedures in a subset of participants (24.4%).

A total of 1354 participants (mean age 56.3 ± 15.3 years; 57.3% women; mean BP: 131.2 ± 17.5/81.6 ± 10.5 mmHg; 42.3% self-declared hypertensive; 41.4% on antihypertensive medications) were enrolled; 73.6% declared being aware of their BP status. Among treated individuals with measured BP, 26.9% showed BP levels within the predefined therapeutic goals. Interestingly, BP status awareness rates were the highest among individuals with uncontrolled hypertension (85.1%) and the lowest among those with normal measured BP (54.4%).

This survey provides an updated insight into hypertension awareness and control in a setting of daily clinical practice, emphasizing the centricity of patients in the therapeutic alliance for a successful reduction of cardiovascular risk.