Abstract
This report from the National Epidemiological Study of Hypertension in the United Arab Emirates (NESH-UAE) represents the preliminary results of phase I, comprising the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among UAE citizens (adults aged 18-75 years). The data reported in this study represent only the region of the Sharjah district, UAE. There were 3150 individuals enrolled for the study. Hypertension was defined as systolic pressure > 140 mmHg, and/or diastolic pressure> 90 mmHg, and/or reported treatment with one or more antihypertensive medications. The overall prevalence in this screened sample was 36.6%. Most of the study subjects were in the productive age, from 30-50 years. In the hypertensive group there are more females than males (53% vs. 47% respectively). Overall, 26% of hypertensive persons were aware that they had high blood pressure, 41% being treated with antihypertensive medications, and 19 % were under control (systolic pressure < 140 and diastolic pressure < 90 mmHg). We plan to extend the study to other regions in the country in order to attain a representative sample and results about this disease. These preliminary results indicate that hypertension is highly prevalent in the UAE. T...Continue Reading