Population assessment of effective
blood pressure (BP) control is fundamental for reducing the global burden of
hypertension, especially in low- and middle-
income countries. The authors evaluated the
effectiveness of BP control and determined independent predictors associated with effective control among
patients with
hypertension on
drug treatment in a large
cross-sectional study performed in two metropolitan areas in
Brazil's southeast region. A total of 43 647
patients taking
antihypertensive treatment were identified. Less than half of the
patients (40.9%) had controlled BP (systolic BP <140 mm Hg and diastolic BP <90 mm Hg). Independent predictors of BP control were age,
eating fruit daily,
physical activity, previous
cardiovascular disease,
male sex,
diabetes mellitus,
ethnicity, and
obesity. Simple variables associated with BP control may be utilized for
knowledge translation strategies aiming to reduce the burden of
hypertension...