Blood pressure control in patients with hypertension: a community-based study

The objective of own study was to investigate the quality of hypertension management in a rural Chinese population. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 922 hypertensive patients in a regional community in southern China. The average systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 167.8 +/- 22.5 mmHg and 94.3 +/- 14.2 mmHg respectively. A total of 823 patients (89.3%) patients had a SBP of greater than or equal to 140 mmHg, and 596 (64.6%) had a DBP of greater than or equal to 90 mmHg. Fully 568 patients (69.7%) were treated with one or two antihypertensive drugs, mostly with calcium channel blockers. In patients treated with antihypertensive drugs, the average SBP and DBP were 170.3 +/- 23.1 mmHg and 96.2 +/- 14.8 mmHg, respectively. Blood pressure was poorly controlled in these hypertensive patients. Further studies are required to identify the barriers to the effective management of uncontrolled hypertension in a rural setting.