Screening and Awareness for Blood Pressure in a Non-Medical Setting: The Vienna Hairdresser Initiative

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Arterial hypertension (HTN) is a leading modifiable cardiovascular risk factor globally, affecting 20% of the Austrian population.
• Despite available treatments, only 38.8% of patients achieve target blood pressure (BP) goals, underscoring challenges in primary prevention.
• There is a critical need for innovative Disease Management Programs (DMPs) to address unrecognized and untreated HTN and its associated cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of diagnosing hypertension in a non-medical setting (hairdressers) for early disease detection.
• To raise awareness about hypertension among the general population and encourage timely medical consultation.
• To explore the potential of hairdressers as accessible points for blood pressure measurement and public health intervention.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 193 participants at a Viennese hairdresser, trained in guideline-compliant blood pressure (BP) measurement.
• Participants completed questionnaires on demographics and cardiovascular risk factors; blood pressure was measured using automatically measured office blood pressure (AOBP).
• Statistical analysis included independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and chi-squared tests for data comparison.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of hypertension was found, with 65.8% (127/193) of participants being hypertensive.
• Among hypertensive individuals, 74.8% were untreated, and 63% were unaware of their condition.
• The control rate for previously diagnosed HTN was low (18.5%), with no significant BP difference between diagnosed and undiagnosed individuals.

Conclusions:

• Screening for HTN in unconventional non-medical settings like hairdressers is effective for diagnosis and raising awareness in Austria.
• The high prevalence and lack of awareness highlight the need for accessible screening programs.
• Future cohort studies are planned to expand this approach in socially deprived areas, aiming to reduce the burden of preventable cardiovascular events.