Prevalence of Hypertension and Its Associated Cardiovascular Disease-induced Mortality

Background and Aim: Hypertension is among the most well-recognized controllable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the current study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its associated cardiovascular disease-induced mortality in the middle-aged and elderly populations. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 722836 middle-aged and elderly subjects of Qom Province, Iran (approximately 15% of the total population, aged >30 years) referring to comprehensive healthcare service centers from 2017 to 2019. In this study, due to the adjusted risk ratio, the share of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases attributed to hypertension was estimated indirectly. Results: The prevalence of hypertension in the study population was reported to be 16.2%, i.e., estimated as 10% among the middle-aged and 42% among the elderly. The obtained data suggested that in patients with hypertension, the process of controlling and monitoring blood pressure in women, compared to men; the elderly, compared to middle-aged; and villagers, compared to urbanites, had a more favorable trend based on relevant protocols (P<0.001). Additionally, 4.9% and 29% of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases in individuals aged >30 and >60 years were attributed to hypertension, respectively. Conclusion: The present research findings supported the considerable contribution of hypertension to hypertension-related mortality in cardiovascular diseases cases in Qom Province. Hypertension is a controllable risk factor; considering limited health resources, it is recommended that educational interventions be planned by health policymakers in the target populations to reduce mortality due to this disease.