What contributes to lack of hypertension awareness in an urban population?

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Uzroci neznanja o postojanju visokog krvnog tlaka u urbanoj populaciji
• Author: Tara Bakan Mhedin
• Mentor: Vesna Degoricija (mentor)
• Committee member: Vesna Degoricija (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Martina Lovrić Benčić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Jasenka Markeljević (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2017-07-14, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences; Internal Medicine

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are responsible for the largest proportion of non-communicable disease (NCD) related deaths below the age of 70 years. This primarily includes conditions caused by high blood pressure (BP), which is a major health implication within our ageing society. Nations have implemented cost-efficient and applicable interventions, with success rates in improving public health (PH) and reducing BP, with implemented goals and action plan-programs; including comprehensive primary prevention for management over the last few decades; both pharmacologically and lifestyle changes. There is an increase in awareness from the early 2000s till today. Improvements regarding awareness have occurred in urban population, as a result of programs implemented for primary prevention. But the numbers are far from optimal as high rates of morbidity and mortality of the diseases caused by hypertension (HPT) still contributes to the leading cause of CVD´s. Prevalence of HPT is still high as population is growing, aging, and urbanization and globalization of unhealthy lifestyles increasing. Increased prevalence of HPT and the fact that the ’rule of halves’ still is valid in many urban populations, with still high numbers of unawareness, shows we still have not yet reached our goal of increasing awareness and decreasing uncontrolled HPT. Amassed public knowledge and education by primary prevention intervention policies. Therefore, we still need improvements in screening criteria’s and diagnostic protocols, education, and finally, adequate treatment.

Abstract (croatian)

Kardiovaskularne bolesti kao nezarazne bolesti glavni su uzrok smrtnosti osoba mlađih od 70 godina. Primarno uključuju stanja i bolesti uzrokovane visokim krvnim tlakom, što je važna zdravstvena implikacija u našem društvu koje stari. Mnoge nacije su implementirale novčano isplative i primjenjive intervencije koje su pokazale uspjeh u smanjenju krvnog tlaka i u poboljšanju javnog zdravstva. Tijekom posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća provedeni su programi i ciljevi akcijskog plana uključujući sveobuhvatnu primarnu prevenciju, farmakološki pristup i promjenu načina života. Od ranih 2000-ih do danas cjelokupna populacija svjesnija je problema. Najveći pomak se odvio u urbanoj populaciji kao rezultat implementiranog programa za primarnu prevenciju. No, brojke su daleko od optimalnih, jer visoke stope morbiditeta i mortaliteta uzrokovane hipertenzijom i dalje pridonose vodećom uzroku kardiovaskularnih bolesti. Kako populacija brojčano raste, stari, a urbanizacija i globalizacija su kao nezdravi načini života u porastu, tako raste i rasprostranjenost visokog krvnog tlaka. Povećana rasprostranjenost visokog krvnog tlaka i činjenica da je „pravilo polovica“ i dalje važeće u urbanim sredinama, s još uvijek visokim brojem neinformiranih ljudi pokazuje nam da još uvijek nismo dostigli cilj o povećanju svjesnosti i smanjenju nekontrolirane hipertenzije. Prikupljeno javno znanje i edukacija kroz primarnu preventivnu intervencijsku politiku pokazalo se uspješnim, ali su nam još uvijek potrebna dodatna poboljšanja kriterija za trijažu te poboljšanja dijagnostičkih protokola, edukacije i odgovarajućeg liječenja.

• Keywords: hypertension; awareness; primary prevention
• Keywords (croatian): hipertenzija; svjesnost; primarna prevencija
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:043490
• Study programme: Title: Medicine (in English language); Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica medicine (doktor/doktorica medicine)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2018-04-24 08:42:20