Blood pressure screening, management and control in England: results from the health survey for England 1994

Objective To assess the current levels of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in England and to determine the number and type of drugs prescribed. Design A cross-sectional household-based survey of English adults. Subjects A random sample from the adult English population of 12116 adults who participated in the 1994 Hearth Survey for England. Main outcome measures Prevalences of treatment hypertension, awareness and control. Results Using a definition of hypertension as a systolic brood pressure greater than or equal to 160 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 95 mmHg, or a patient's being administered antihypertensive treatment, the prevalence of awareness of hypertension was 63%. Among hypertensives, 50% were receiving treatment and 30% had their hypertension controlled (< 160 mmHg/95 mmHg). Awareness, treatment and control rates are considerably lower than the most recently reported rates from the USA. Diuretics and beta-blockers remain the most common antihypertensive agents used in England. Conclusion There is considerable scope for improving the treatment and control of hypertension in the English adult population. (C) 1998 Lippincott-Raven Publishers.