J Med Assoc Thai 2018; 101 (5):705-6

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Letter to EditorOpen Access
Hypertension in Thailand: A Message from the Thai Hypertension Society on World Hypertension Day 2017
Roubsanthisuk W Mail, Silaruks S , Ophascharoensuk V , Sirinak C , Phrommayon P

The Thai Hypertension Society is a member of the World Hypertension League [WHL], which is an organization that is dedicated to the prevention and control of hypertension [HT] around the world. The WHL developed and promotes World Hypertension Day [WHD] to increase public awareness of HT. The promotional theme of WHD between 2013 and 2018 is ‘Know Your Numbers’. Member organizations of the WHL are encouraged to perform blood pressure [BP] measurement in their respective patient populations during the month leading up to WHD, which is on May 17 of each year, with a goal of 3 million BP measurements taken globally between April 17 and May 17, 2017. Accordingly, the Thai Hypertension Society arranged and promoted BP measurement events at four participating regional medical centers in Thailand. BP measurement data were collected from subjects who visited one of these centers during the designated period. During the 1-month HT evaluation period, 21,379 people had their BP measured, of whom 29% had no prior diagnosis of HT and 71% had known HT. Among the cases with no history of HT, 16.4% had BP of 140/90 mmHg or greater. Only 1% of known hypertensive cases were on lifestyle modifi cation and half of them had BP of less than 140/90 mmHg. Among those on BP-lowering drugs, 57.8% had BP of less than 140/90mmHg.

Approximately three-quarters of cases screened between April 17 and May 17, 2017 had elevated BP, including those with known HT and those with undiagnosed HT with BP of 140/90 mmHg or higher. However, only 4.8% of hypertensive cases in the present study were unaware of their elevated BP problem. The fi fth Thai National Health Examination Survey [NHES V], which was performed in 2014, revealed an HT prevalence rate in adult population aged 15 years or older of 24.7%, and an unawareness rate of HT of around 45%. Since the BP measurement activities in this study were conducted in a hospital or clinic setting, the percentage of HT should be signifi cantly higher than in the general population. In addition, most of our hypertensive cases are aware of their problem and are receiving treatment. However, the rate of uncontrolled BP among those receiving BP-lowering medications in the present study remained quite high considering that around half of our cases received their care at one of three university hospitals. The results of this evaluative and educational initiative in a large population of hypertensive patients in Thailand demonstrated that awareness of HT among people who visited a hospital or clinic is higher than the level of awareness in the general population and that strategies to improve BP control in Thai hypertensive population are really needed.

 


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