Petrella Robert J, Campbell N R C
Department of Family Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Schulich School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Can J Cardiol. 2005 May 15;21(7):589-93.
The Canadian Heart Health Surveys were the last Canadian population-based physical measures surveys (conducted between 1988 and 1992) that determined that hypertension in Canada was poorly managed. Hypertension was undetected in almost one-half of all hypertensive Canadians surveyed, and only 13% of those with hypertension were treated and controlled to recommended blood pressure targets. The reasons for poor control are likely multifactorial; however, a lack of public awareness and understanding of hypertension may contribute to the epidemic of uncontrolled hypertension in Canada.
A national telephone survey was conducted comprising 1001 randomly selected men and women older than 40 years of age to determine the level of public awareness, understanding and misconception of hypertension in Canada. The survey was balanced for region, age and sex.
Thirty-four per cent of respondents had been diagnosed with high blood pressure or hypertension by a health care professional, but only 58% of respondents had ever discussed their blood pressure with a physician, and only 44% were able to identify their own blood pressure or differentiate blood pressure levels considered to be above or below recommended targets. Overall, respondents had a poor understanding of the consequences of high blood pressure or hypertension. The majority were unaware of the association between hypertension and heart disease (80%), heart attack (66%), kidney disease (98%), damage to blood vessels (95%) and premature death (74%). Respondents also had limited knowledge of lifestyle issues affecting hypertension, despite 44% indicating that they were overweight and 18% identifying themselves as smokers. Almost two-thirds (63%) thought hypertension had clearly identifiable signs or symptoms, although they believed that hypertension was not a serious medical condition. Most respondents (59%) falsely believed that they would not develop hypertension and 38% thought that they would be able to control hypertension without the aid of a physician if they did have hypertension.
While hypertension-related complications are preventable, lack of public awareness and misconceptions about hypertension and hypertensive complications are common and may, in part, be associated with ongoing inadequate Canadian awareness, treatment and control rates for hypertension. Increasing public awareness of hypertension using public education and health provider strategies should be a high national health priority.
加拿大心脏健康调查是加拿大最后一次基于人群的身体指标调查（于1988年至1992年进行），该调查确定加拿大高血压的管理情况不佳。在接受调查的所有加拿大高血压患者中，近一半未被诊断出患有高血压，只有13%的高血压患者接受了治疗并将血压控制在推荐目标范围内。控制不佳的原因可能是多方面的；然而，公众对高血压缺乏认识和了解可能是加拿大高血压控制不佳这一流行病的一个因素。
进行了一项全国性电话调查，随机抽取了1001名40岁以上的男性和女性，以确定加拿大公众对高血压的认识、理解和误解程度。该调查在地区、年龄和性别方面保持平衡。
34%的受访者被医疗保健专业人员诊断患有高血压，但只有58%的受访者曾与医生讨论过他们的血压，只有44%的人能够说出自己的血压或区分被认为高于或低于推荐目标的血压水平。总体而言，受访者对高血压的后果了解不足。大多数人不知道高血压与心脏病（80%）、心脏病发作（66%）、肾病（98%）、血管损伤（95%）和过早死亡（74%）之间的关联。尽管44%的受访者表示超重，18%的人认为自己是吸烟者，但受访者对影响高血压的生活方式问题的了解也有限。近三分之二（63%）的人认为高血压有明显的体征或症状，尽管他们认为高血压不是一种严重的疾病。大多数受访者（59%）错误地认为自己不会患高血压，38%的人认为如果他们患有高血压，在没有医生帮助的情况下也能够控制高血压。
虽然与高血压相关的并发症是可以预防的，但公众对高血压及其并发症缺乏认识和误解很常见，这可能部分与加拿大持续存在的高血压认识、治疗和控制率不足有关。利用公共教育和医疗服务提供者策略提高公众对高血压的认识应该是国家卫生工作的重中之重。
