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Qirjako G, Mone I, Beaney T, Xia X, Draçini X, Poulter NR, Fico A, Ylli A, Çumashi R, Roshi E, Burazeri G. May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Albania. Eur Heart J Suppl 2021; 23:B6-B8. [PMID: 34733123 PMCID: PMC8559333 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/suab015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
This article discusses the results of the May Measurement Month (MMM) 2019 campaign, which contributed to a third round of MMM hypertension screening campaigns carried out in Albania, a transitional country in the Western Balkans. The hypertension screening campaign in Albania was carried out during the period 1-31 May 2019 in 30 sites in many districts of the country. Overall, 19 154 participants aged ≥18 years were included (approximately 68% of these were women), with an overall mean age of 47.0 ± 15.3 years. Blood pressure (BP) was measured with OMRON sphygmomanometers (Omron Healthcare, Kyoto, Japan). Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥140 mmHg, or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg, or on treatment for hypertension. Self-reported data consisted of height and weight, pre-existing conditions, including smoking status and alcohol consumption. Overall, the proportion of participants with hypertension was 38.6%. Less than two-thirds (64.7%) of hypertensive individuals were aware of their condition. Also, less than half (48.3%) of participants on antihypertensive medication had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg). The most sizable correlations of high BP were with known hypertension status, use of antihypertensive medication, and obesity. The MMM campaign contributes to routine hypertension screening in Albania. Hence, health professionals and policymakers in Albania should act on the findings of MMM screening campaigns and continue its support as a valuable tool for early detection of hypertension in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gentiana Qirjako
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, Tirana, Albania
- Institute of Public Health, Rr. "Aleksander Moisiu", No. 80, Tirana, Albania
| | - Iris Mone
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, Tirana, Albania
| | - Thomas Beaney
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, Imperial College London, Stadium House, 68 Wood Lane, London W12 7RH, UK
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, St Dunstan’s Road, London W6 8RP, UK
| | - Xin Xia
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, Imperial College London, Stadium House, 68 Wood Lane, London W12 7RH, UK
| | - Xheladin Draçini
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, Tirana, Albania
| | - Neil R Poulter
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, Imperial College London, Stadium House, 68 Wood Lane, London W12 7RH, UK
| | - Albana Fico
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, Tirana, Albania
- Institute of Public Health, Rr. "Aleksander Moisiu", No. 80, Tirana, Albania
| | - Alban Ylli
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, Tirana, Albania
- Institute of Public Health, Rr. "Aleksander Moisiu", No. 80, Tirana, Albania
| | - Rudina Çumashi
- Institute of Public Health, Rr. "Aleksander Moisiu", No. 80, Tirana, Albania
| | - Enver Roshi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, Tirana, Albania
| | - Genc Burazeri
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, Tirana, Albania
- Department of International Health, School CAPHRI (Care and Public Health Research Institute), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author. Tel: +355 674077260,
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