5C.02: PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN XXXX IN THE 2014 HYPERTENSION WORLD DAY CAMPAIGN IN ITALY.

@entity1 @entity64 @entity1007 @entity101 @entity6 @entity177 @entity583
OBJECTIVE: Aim of our study was to obtain information on prevalence and awareness of @entity101 and other cardiovascular risk factors in individuals participating in the 2014 "World @entity101 Day" in Italy. DESIGN AND METHOD: During the 2014 "World @entity101 Day", health care providers from 50 @entity101 centers affiliated to the Italian Society of @entity101 , spread all over the country, anonymously interviewed individuals spontaneously participating in this campaign. Information on demography, cardiovascular risk factors prevalence, awareness of @entity101 and of its consequences was obtained. The average of two conventional blood pressure (BP) measurements, taken in seated position after a few min rest by a validated oscillometric device (Microlife BP A150), was recorded. RESULTS: Data were collected from 6356 individuals (53.2% females, 46.8% males) aged 57.8 years. (18-105 years).43.6% of subjects were aware of being @entity101 , 89.9% being treated. In this cohort active and former smokers were respectively 19.2% and 22%; 28.6% reported @entity1007 and 8.3% @entity6 . Mean systolic BP>139mmHg was found in 34.8% and mean diastolic BP>89mmHg in 18.3% of the entire cohort and in 47.7% and 23.5% of aware @entity101 individuals, respectively. In 14.5% of participating subjects and in 19.6% of aware @entity101 both systolic/diastolic BP were found above 139/89mmHg respectively. On average, BP was higher in aware @entity101 individuals, in spite of being treated, than in the overall cohort (139.6/81.7  19.7/14.5 vs 133.1/79.7  20.3/15 mmHg, respectively, p<0.005). Awareness of @entity101 complications was imperfect, acute @entity583 , @entity64 and @entity177 being recognized as consequences of @entity101 by 85.1%, 61.6% and 28.6% of individuals, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our data, obtained in Italy at the time of the 2014 World @entity101 Day show a yet high @entity101 prevalence, accompanied by an unsatisfactory awareness of its complications and by a frequent occurrence of other cardiovascular risk factors in @entity1 in this initiative. Even considering that these individuals may not be fully representative of the general Italian population, our results strongly indicate that more efforts are still needed to improve @entity101 control and to increase @entity1 ' awareness of the risks associated to this condition.
