ABC | Volume 112, Nº3, March 2019

Original Article Hypertension Prevalence, Treatment and Control in Older Adults in a Brazilian Capital City Ana Luiza Lima Sousa, 1 Sandro Rodrigues Batista, 2 Andrea Cristina Sousa, 2 Jade Alves S. Pacheco, 1 Priscila Valverde de Oliveira Vitorino, 3 V aléria Pagotto 1 Faculdade de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), 1 Goiânia, GO – Brazil Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), 2 Goiânia, GO – Brazil Escola de Ciências Sociais e da Saúde - Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, 3 Goiânia, GO – Brazil Mailing Address: Priscila Valverde de Oliveira Vitorino • Av. Carlos Elias, Qd. 21, Lt. 3. Postal Code 75084-100, São Carlos, Anápolis, GO – Brazil E-mail: pvalverde@pucgoias.edu.br , fisioprivitorino@hotmail.com Manuscript received April 13, 2018, revised manuscript July 18, 2018, accepted August 02, 2018 DOI: 10.5935/abc.20180274 Abstract Background: The diagnosis, treatment and control of arterial hypertension are fundamental for a reduction in cardiovascular outcomes, especially in the elderly. In Brazil, there are few studies that specifically identified these rates in the elderly population. Objective: To verify rates of prevalence, treatment and control of hypertension in elderly people living in the urban area of a Brazilian capital city. Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based, randomized, cluster-based study with 912 non-institutionalized elderly individuals (≥ 60 years), living in urban areas in the city of Goiania, Midwest Brazil. Predictor variables were: age, gender, socioeconomic and lifestyle aspects. Blood pressure measurements were performed at home; patients were considered as having arterial hypertension when SBP and/or DBP ≥ 140/90 mmHg or when using antihypertensive drugs (dependent variable). Rates of hypertension treatment and control were evaluated. Variable association analyses were performed by multivariate logistic regression and level of significance was set at 5%. Results: The prevalence of arterial hypertension was 74.9%, being higher (78.6%) in men (OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.04-1.92); the treatment rate was 72.6%, with higher rates being observed in smokers (OR 2.06, 95% CI: 1.28-3.33). The rate of hypertension control was 50.8%,being higher in women (OR 1.57, 95% CI: 1.19-2.08). Conclusion: The prevalence rates were high. Treatment and control rates were low and associated with gender, age and lifestyle, indicating the need for early and individual interventions. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2019; 112(3):271-278) Keywords: Hypertension/epidemiology; Hypertension/prevention and control; Prevalence; Aging; Blood Pressure; Cross-Sectional Studies. Introduction Despite the easy diagnosis and available treatments, arterial hypertension (AH) is still an underdiagnosed disease, with low control rates. 1,2 Information on the prevalence, knowledge of diagnosis, treatment and control among the elderly is scarce in developing countries, even though they are acknowledged as necessary for the monitoring and development of effective strategies for AH control. 2 In Brazil, starting from the 1970s, there was a change in the population’s demographic profile, going from a mostly rural society with large families and young individuals to a mainly urban society, and with a larger proportion of elderly individuals. 3 The prevalence of AH increases as the analyzed age group changes. In Brazil, the National Health Survey showed a 44.4% prevalence of AH in individuals aged 60 to 64 years; 52.7% from 65 to 74 years and 55.5% for those aged 75 years or older. 4 A study carried out in Tibet identified a progressive increase in this rate, with a 19% variation in the 40-year age range and 78.1% in the 70-year age range. 5 On the other hand, the rates of knowledge of diagnosis, treatment and control were low. 6 It can be observed that in the Brazilian elderly population, little has been analyzed beyond the prevalence data. 7-10 Brazilian population surveys carried out in the last 20 years, considering the adult population aged > 20 years, showed a prevalence of AH varying from 28.5% in the Southeast region 11 to up to 53.2% in the Northern region of the country. 12 In this latter study, the rate of knowledge of the diagnosis was 63.1% and the treatment rate was 85.4%, 12 albeit not specifically among the elderly. No population-based studies that analyzed all these rates in the elderly population in Brazil have been identified and this lack of information has been a barrier to the development of public health policies for this population. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence, treatment and control of AH and the association with life habits among the elderly, living in the urban area of a capital city in Midwest Brazil. 271