Prevalence, awareness and control of hypertension in Chennai--The Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES-52).

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence, awareness and control of hypertension in Chennai representing Urban South India.

METHODS: The Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES) is one of the largest epidemiological studies on diabetes carried out in India, where 26,001 individuals aged > or = 20 years were screened using systematic random sampling method. Every tenth subject recruited in Phase 1 of CURES was requested to participate in Phase 3 of CURES and the response rate was 2,350/26,001 or 90.4%. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed in all individuals except self-reported diabetic subjects. Anthropometric measurements and lipid estimations were done in all subjects. Hypertension was diagnosed in all subjects who were on drug treatment for hypertension or if the blood pressure > or = 140/90 mmHg.

RESULTS: Hypertension was present in 20% [men:23.2% vs. women:17.1%, p<0.001] of the study population. Isolated systolic hypertension (Systolic BP > or = 140 and Diastolic BP<90 mmHg) was present in 6.6% while isolated diastolic hypertension (DBP > or = 90 and SBP<140 mmHg) was present in 4.2% of the population. Among the elderly population (aged > or = 60 years), 25.2% had isolated systolic hypertension. Age, body mass index, smoking, serum cholesterol and triglycerides were found to be strongly associated with hypertension. Among the total hypertensive subjects, only 32.8% were aware of their blood pressure, of these, 70.8% were under treatment and 45.9% had their blood pressure under control.

CONCLUSION: Hypertension was present in one-fifth of this urban south Indian population and isolated systolic hypertension was more common among elderly population. Majority of hypertensive subjects still remain undetected and the control of hypertension is also inadequate. This calls for urgent prevention and control measures for hypertension.