Prevalence of undiagnosed and uncontrolled hypertension during a world stroke day 2025 community screening program: A hospital based cross-sectional analytic study

Abstract

Hypertension remains the leading modifiable risk factor for stroke, but many affected individuals remain undiagnosed or inadequately controlled. This cross-sectional community-based screening study evaluated 1,000 adults during World Stroke Day 2025 in Rajkot, Gujarat, using standardized blood pressure measurements. Hypertension prevalence was 34.2%, of which 75.1% were previously undiagnosed, while only 36.5% of known hypertensive individuals had controlled blood pressure. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 135.1 ą 17.9 mmHg and 86.8 ą 11.1 mmHg, respectively, with significantly higher hypertension prevalence among males and older adults (p<0.001). Thus, data shows the community-based blood pressure screening effectively identifies hidden hypertension and supports early intervention to reduce future stroke risk.