Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of arterial hypertension and factors associated with these indices in a population sample of Astana, the new capital city of Kazakhstan. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Subjects registered in 8 outpatient polyclinics in Astana, Kazakhstan. Participants: A total of 497 adults (response rate 56%) aged 50-75 years randomly selected from registers of the polyclinics. Outcome measures: Hypertension was defined as a mean systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure of â�?¥140/90 mmHg and/or anti-hypertensive medication use during the last 2 weeks. Awareness and treatment were based on self-report. Hypertension control was defined as blood pressure <140/90 mmHg among hypertensive subjects. Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension was 70%. Among hypertensive subjects, 91% were aware of their condition, 77% took anti hypertensive medications, and 34% had blood pressure controlled (<140/90 mm Hg). The prevalence of hypertension and its awareness, treatment and control was more common in women, among persons aged 60 years of more and (except control) among those with high body mass index. None of several available socioeconomic measures was associated with any of hypertension indices. Conclusions: The levels of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were higher than in most Eastern European and Central Asian populations with available data, most likely reflecting high education and large proportion of civil servants in the new capital city. However, even in this relatively privileged population the rates of successful control of hypertension were modest.

Biography

Email: madina.khamzina@nu.edu.kz