ABC | Volume 112, Nº3, March 2019

Original Article Sousa et al Prevalence of hypertension in older adults Arq Bras Cardiol. 2019; 112(3):271-278 Table 3 – Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the factors associated with the analyzed rates Variables Adjusted Odds Ratio (95%CI) Wald test p value Prevalence of arterial hypertension Age (years) 1.01 (0.99 – 1.02) 0.25 0.614 Gender Female 1 Male 1.39 (1.04 – 1.92) 4.16 0.041 Income (in MW) < 1MW 1 1MW |--- 2MW 0.79 (0.45 – 1.4) 0.64 0.423 2 MW|--- 4MW 1.17 (0.69 -- 2.00) 0.34 0.559 4MW + 1.12 (1.00 – 1.02) 0.25 0.614 Treatment rate Age (years) 1,00 (0,99 – 1,02) 0,11 0,740 Gender Female 1 Male 1.12 (0.85 – 1.47) 0.66 0.417 Smoker Non/ex-smoker 1 Yes 2.06 (1.28 – 3.33) 3.22 0.003 Control rate Age (years) 0.99 (0.97 – 1.00) 2.30 0.130 Gender Male 1 Female 1.57 (1.19 – 2.08) 9.93 0.002 Alcohol consumption Yes 1 No 1.41 (1.00 – 1.99) 3.88 0.049 Other studies carried out with the elderly found a greater proportion of women undergoing treatment. and 70.1% (95%CI 68.2–71.8) in men, 22 in opposition to our study, where women showed lower rates. The difference in AH prevalence between genders has been previously described in several studies carried out in different countries, as well as the association with age. 23-26 Until the age of 60 years, the proportion of hypertensive women is lower because they rely on the hormonal protection of estrogens, whereas it is predicted that these rates will be equal between men and women after the latter go through menopause. 24 Similarly, our study showed that ISH had higher prevalence rates among those aged 70 years and older, with no difference between genders, which contrasts with the Polish study that found higher ISH rates in men older than 85 years. 22 The treatment rate found in our study was higher among women and showed no association with the different age groups. Other studies carried out with the elderly found a greater proportion of women undergoing treatment. Treatment is related to the access to health services, as well as the level of knowledge of AH diagnosis and the prevalence. 28,29 In our country, the identification of these rates, whether among the general population or in specific age groups, comes from population‑based surveys or specific studies under certain conditions, such as implemented programs. 30 The difficulty of having access to and receiving care at health services do not allow the opportunity for diagnosis and treatment. This is even more serious when it is related to elderly individuals with AH who are unaware of their diagnosis. The blood pressure control rates found in our study among those who received treatment for AH were low and significantly lower in men. According to data from the PURE study, which analyzed data from 17 countries representing five continents, AH treatment and control rates in South American countries were lower than those found in our study, even when considering the specific age range of the elderly. 2 276