The prevalence of hypertension in Keshan disease endemic areas of China, 2010

Objective To describe the prevalence of hypertension in Keshan disease endemic areas in China, in order to provide evidence for modifying the policy of hypertension prevention and control. Methods Nonprobability sampling method was used in the study. Two hundred villages were selected as the survey places based on case-finding from 50 counties in 13 provinces including Shandong, Hebei, Yunnan, Gansu, Henan, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hubei, Sichuan and Chongqing in 2010. Basic data of all permanent residents in the two hundred villages were obtained through questionnaire survey, and blood pressure was taken by a clinician. The diagnostic criterion for hypertension was based on the 2010 "Chinese Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension". Results Totally 32 504 people were surveyed and 6 209 people were found with hypertension. The positive rates of hypertension among people aged 18 years and older in the most severe endemic areas of Keshan disease were 19.1% (6 209/32 504), among them 19.5% (2 613/13 410) were males and 18.8%(3 596/19 094) were females. The positive rate was not significantly different statistically between males and females (χ2 = 2.169, P > 0.05). The positive rate of hypertension increased with age (χ2 = 3 462.522, P < 0.05). In the classification of hypertension, the proportion of isolated systolic hypertension was 32.8% (2 038/6 209); level 1, 2, 3 hypertension were 27.5% (1 705/6 209), 26.2% (1 625/6 209), 13.5% (841/6 209), respectively. The positive of hypertension among the minority ethnic people of Man[33.1% (228/689)]was higher than that of Han people[20.0% (5 626/28 164), χ2 = 71.535, P < 0.01], but Tujia, Qiang and Yi[16.9% (117/691), 4.1% (29/712), 3.3% (48/1 444)]was lower than that of Han (χ2 = 14.926, 111.519, 245.859, all P < 0.01). Moreover the positive rate of Liaoning Province[33.2%(228/687)]was the highest. Conclusions The prevalence of hypertension in population of Keshan disease endemic areas has reached the national average(18.8%). The spreading of health knowledge on hypertension should be strengthened in rural areas, and hypertension prevention and control policy adjustments should also be made in rural poverty areas. Key words: Keshan disease; Hypertension; Positive rates