Hypertension Awareness, Treatment, and Control in Mexico: An Opportunistic Medical Student-led Blood Pressure Screening Campaign – A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is still a growing public health problem in Mexico. An estimated 151% increase in the number of individuals with hypertension is expected for 2050 if actions are not taken in the country. The aim of this study is to describe hypertension awareness, treatment, control and its associated factors in participants of an opportunistic medical student-led blood pressure screening campaign in Mexico. Methods: A cross-sectional study, using convenience sampling was performed, including participants aged 18 years and older from 15 Mexican states. Each participant completed a questionnaire about risk factors and had three BP measurements taken. Hypertension was defined as ?140/90 mmHg. Multiple imputation with linear regression was performed where data was missing. Results: From a population of 2 545 participants, 623 (24.5%) participants had hypertension. Of those with hypertension, 81.9% had a previous diagnosis of hypertension and only 16.1% were not on medication at the time of screening; 61% were controlled, 121% were uncontrolled patients and 18% were not aware they had hypertension. High marginalization was found to have the biggest proportion of uncontrolled cases (33%), while the number of unaware hypertensives in very low marginalization states doubled the national figure. More than half the participants taking antihypertensive agents were on a single medication, achieving control in almost 8 in 10 patients. Conclusion: It is important to continue making and supporting awareness raising campaigns in different settings across the country to generate more evidence and lead to better programs for improving hypertension detection in Mexico.

Keywords

• Hypertension
• Blood pressure
• Screening
• Mexico