Global blood pressure screening during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from the May Measurement Month 2021 campaign

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Thomas Beaney, Imperial College London; Wei Wang, Imperial College London; Markus P Schlaich, University of Western Australia; Aletta E Schutte, University of New South Wales; George S Stergiou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Luis Alcocer, Instituto Mexicano de Salud Cardiovascular; Jafar Alsaid, University of Queensland; Alejandro Bimbo Diaz, University of Santo Tomas; Rafael Hernandez-Hernandez, Universidad Centro Occidental Lisandro Alvarado; Mohammad Ishaq, AGA Khan University; Jacek Jozwiak, University of Opole; Nadia Khan, University of British Columbia; Gaia Kiru, Imperial College London; Harsha McCardle, Khanda Ltd; Augustine Nonso Odili, University of Abuja; Wook Bum Pyun, Ewha Womans University; Cesar Romero, Emory University; Jiguang Wang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Neil R Poulter, Imperial College London
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-09-01
• Publisher: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000003488
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 9
• Start Page: 1446
• End Page: 1455
• Grant/Funding Information: May Measurement Month (MMM) was an initiative of the International Society of Hypertension. MMM 2021 was generously supported by Servier through the Institut la Conference Hippocrate and USASCP. As a supporter of the study, Servier had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation or writing of the report. The first and corresponding authors had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.
• Keywords: hypertension; WOMEN; Peripheral Vascular Disease; treatment; adults; blood pressure; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; HYPERTENSION; screening; COVID-19; Cardiovascular System & Cardiology; awareness; risk factor
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Health Sciences, Public Health; Psychology, Behavioral

Abstract

Background:Raised blood pressure (BP) remains the biggest risk factor contributing to the global burden of disease and mortality, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. May Measurement Month (MMM), an annual global screening campaign aims to highlight the importance of BP measurement by evaluating global awareness, treatment and control rates among adults with hypertension. In 2021, we assessed the global burden of these rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:Screening sites were set up in 54 countries between May and November 2021 and screenees were recruited by convenience sampling. Three sitting BPs were measured, and a questionnaire completed including demographic, lifestyle and clinical data. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP at least 140 mmHg and/or a diastolic BP at least 90 mmHg (using the mean of the second and third readings) or taking antihypertensive medication. Multiple imputation was used to impute the average BP when readings were missing.Results:Of the 642 057 screenees, 225 882 (35.2%) were classified as hypertensive, of whom 56.8% were aware, and 50.3% were on antihypertensive medication. Of those on treatment, 53.9% had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg). Awareness, treatment and control rates were lower than those reported in MMM campaigns before the COVID-19 pandemic. Minimal changes were apparent among those testing positive for, or being vaccinated against COVID-19. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 94.7% reported no change in their treatment because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusion:The high yield of untreated or inadequately treated hypertension in MMM 2021 confirms the need for systematic BP screening where it does not currently exist.