[Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in rural adult residents of Liaoning Province].

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to estimate the current status of prevalence, awareness, treatment and control rate of hypertension in adult residents living in rural area of Liaoning Province, North China. METHODS: The screening was finished in 2008, probability proportional to size sampling method was used to select the representative sample. Blood pressure was measured in 153481 adults (aged > 35 yr), information on history of hypertension and use of antihypertensive medications was obtained by use of a standard questionnaire. RESULTS: Overall, hypertension prevalence rate was 41.9%, the age-specific hypertension prevalence rate was 25.0%, 37.7%, 50.2%, and 64.9% in men and 22.1%, 41.1%, 56.6% and 70.2% in women age 35 to 44 years, 45 to 54 years, 55 to 64 years, and above 65 years, respectively. Among hypertensive patients, awareness rate was only 54.1%, 39.7% patients received antihypertensive medication and blood pressure control rate (< 140/90 mm Hg) was 6.9% in all participants and was 9.3% in treated hypertensive patients. CONCLUSION: Our results indicates that hypertension prevalence is highly while awareness, treatment and control rate of hypertension was low in rural areas of northeast China. These results underscore the urgent need to develop comprehensive strategies to improve prevention, detection, and treatment of hypertension in rural population of Liaoning province.

Shape of concentration-response curves between long-term particulate matter exposure and morbidities of chronic bronchitis: a review of epidemiological evidence.

Numerous studies have assessed the concentration-response (C-R) relationships between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) and mortality from cardiopulmonary diseases, but few studies have evaluated the C-R relationships between PM exposure and morbidity of chronic respiratory diseases or their symptoms, and to date no systematic review has been published on the characteristics of the C-R curves between PM exposure and respiratory disease morbidity. Screening of all available studies in Medline identified ten studies with figures or scatter plots showing the C-R relationships between PM exposure and chronic bronchitis or chronic cough/phlegm. The C-R relationships showed ballistic 'S' shaped curves, linear in the low to moderate PM range and flattening out in the high PM range. Moreover, the shape and level of the C-R curves differed markedly between susceptible and nonsusceptible populations. New evidence from a prospective cohort study confirmed that the C-R relationship between PM reduction and beneficial effects on respiratory health may be due to the decreased incidence of respiratory symptoms and increased recovery in individuals with symptoms of bronchitis. Additional studies are needed to assess the C-R relationships between different PM contents and chronic health parameters, especially in geographic areas with high PM pollution and in more susceptible populations. Evidence from prospective cohort studies in developing countries with areas of high PM pollution may help evaluate the burden of chronic respiratory disease attributable to PM pollution and air quality standards.