Epidemiologic features and management of hypertension in Tunisia, the results from the Hypertension National Registry (NaTuRe HTN)

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is the leading cause of morbi-mortality in our country. Thus, we conducted this national survey on hypertension to analyze the profile of the Tunisian hypertensive patient and to assess the level of blood pressure control. Methods: Nature HTN is an observational multicentric survey, including hypertensive individuals and consulting their doctors during the period of the study. Blood pressure measurements were conducted during consultation, using a standardized auscultatory or oscillometric sphygmomanometer after at least 15 min of rest. The diagnosis of new hypertension is based on the 2018 ESC/ESH criteria. The primary endpoint of our study was uncontrolled hypertension defined by a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg. Results: Three hundred twenty-one investigators participated in the study. We enrolled 25,890 patients with a female predominance (Sex ratio, 1.21) and an average age of 64.4 ± 12.2 years. Most individuals were treated in the public sector (74%), 39.4% of patients were diabetic, 25.8% were obese, 44.6% were overweight and 14% were smokers. Hypertension was controlled in 51.7% of cases if we consider 140/90 as a BP target, and only in 18.6% if we consider 130/80 as a target. The independent predictors of uncontrolled blood pressure were male sex (OR = 1.09, 95%CI [1.02–1.16]), age > 65 year-old (OR = 1.07, 95% CI[1.01–1.13], diabetes (OR = 1.18, 95% CI [1.11–1.25], Smoking (OR = 1.15, 95% CI [1.05–1.25]), Obesity (OR = 1.14, 95% CI[1.07–1.21]), management in public sector (OR = 1.25, 95% CI [1.16–1.34]), and Heart rate > 80 bpm (OR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.48–1.71]). Contrarily, high educational level (OR = 0.9, 95% CI [0.84–0.97], absence of history of coronary disease (OR = 0.86, 95% CI [0.8–0.93]), salt restriction (OR = 0.48, 95% CI [0.45–0.51]), drug compliance (OR = 0.57, 95% CI[0.52–0.61]), and regular physical activity (OR = 0.77, 95% CI[0.71–0.84]) are strong predictors of blood pressure control. Conclusion: NaTuRe HTN showed that blood pressure control was reached in more than half of the Tunisian people. The control remains low in patients with high cardiovascular profiles and in those treated in the public sector. A national health program based on therapeutic education, regular control and continuous support to the public institutions is needed to decrease the burden of hypertension incidence rate.