The May Measurement Month (MMM) campaign was conducted in Ghana in 2023 to raise awareness of raised blood pressure (BP). Adults aged ≥18 years were recruited through convenience sampling in the Greater Accra, Eastern, Central and Ashanti Regions of Ghana. Three seated BP readings were taken on each participant, and a questionnaire collected information on demographics, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90mmHg or being on BP-lowering medication. Controlled BP was defined as being on BP-lowering medication with a BP <140/90mmHg. In total, 4,203 were screened, with a mean age of 33.6 years and 29.0% were female. Of all participants, 506 (12.0%) had hypertension, of whom 73 (14.4%) were aware, and 69 (13.6%) were on antihypertensive medication. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 26 (37.7%) had controlled BP, and of all participants with hypertension, 5.1% had controlled BP. The MMM campaign in Ghana identified a substantial number of participants with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. It is significant to note that the annual BP screening campaign is a means to create awareness of the need to get screened and also identify individuals with high BP.
Betty Owusu-Ansah, Joseph O Kiddy-Kodua, Martin Adu-Adadey et al.· European Heart Journal, Supp...· 0 citations
The May Measurement Month (MMM) campaign was conducted in Egypt in 2023 to raise awareness of raised blood pressure (BP). Adults aged ≥18 years were recruited through convenience sampling at hospitals, workplaces, and public areas across Egypt. Three seated BP readings were taken on each participant, and a questionnaire collected information on demographics, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90mmHg or being on BP-lowering medication. Controlled BP was defined as being on BP-lowering medication with a BP <140/90mmHg. Multiple imputation was used to estimate missing BP readings. In total, 2,701 were screened, with a mean age of 41.9 years and 44.5% were female. Of all participants, 661 (24.5%) had hypertension, of whom 452 (68.4%) were aware, and 431 (65.2%) were on antihypertensive medication. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 290 (67.3%) had controlled BP, and of all participants with hypertension, 43.9% had controlled BP. Females had a higher prevalence of hypertension (27.3% vs 22.2%), awareness (75.9% vs 61.0%) and controlled BP (50.6% vs 37.2%) than males.
The MMM campaign in Egypt identified a substantial number of participants with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension, underscoring a high burden and persistent gaps in detection and management. These findings highlight the need for public education, clinical management, and community-centric screening and interventions to improve BP control and reduce cardiovascular risk.
Marina Sous, Farah Bishay, Esraa Magdy et al.· European Heart Journal, Supp...· 0 citations
The MMM campaign in Argentina identified a substantial number of participants with untreated but more frequently inadequately treated hypertension, which is essential to implement more effective strategies, such as treatment adjustments, lifestyle changes, and close patient monitoring, to improve control and reduce long-term risks.
J. Zilberman, T. Beaney, G. Kerr et al.· European Heart Journal, Supp...· 0 citations