2023-05-16 13:48:26
Arterial hypertension is the most common chronic disease in France. Nearly 30% of adults are hypertensive, or 17 million people, said Public Health France on Tuesday, after conducting two general population surveys and a survey of a panel of general practitioners and the National Health Data System.
However, the knowledge, treatment and control of hypertension remain “sub-optimal and have not seen any recent improvement, some indicators having even suffered a deterioration”, regrets the health agency, while it is a factor high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Thus, only one out of two hypertensives is aware of their disease. A figure, according to the health agency, far below the level of knowledge reached in other European or North American countries. For Public Health France, this lack of knowledge can be explained in particular by insufficiently effective screening, or the difficulty of understanding and acceptance of the diagnosis by patients when the disease is announced.
Prevention
Among the patients, only one in four has controlled blood pressure, she continues. And if more than 1.6 million adults initiate antihypertensive treatment each year. “The Covid-19 crisis had a significant impact with an 11% drop in these initiations linked to a decrease in the use of care”, indicates Public Health France.
In 2020, this decrease was particularly significant among women (-16%), even exceeding a 30% drop among 75-84 year olds compared to the reduction observed among men (-5%). And in 2021, contrary to what was observed in men, no catch-up was observed in women.
“Health policies in favor of the primary prevention of arterial hypertension, its screening and its management must be put in place quickly to allow, as in other countries, a favorable evolution of the epidemiological indicators of the disease. disease”, concludes Public Health France.
With AFP
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