Department of Internal Medicine II, Division of Angiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Am J Hypertens. 2011 Apr;24(4):408-14. doi: 10.1038/ajh.2010.257. Epub 2011 Feb 3.
Blood pressure (BP) awareness is a main focus of public health efforts. In Austria, an increase of knowledge and perception regarding hypertension was seen after a nationwide educational campaign in 1978, but subsequent surveys documented only short-term impact. We report results of the latest survey in 2009 in comparison to 1978 and 1998.
Balanced for Austrian demographic characteristics 1,005 men and women older than 15 years of age were randomly selected for face-to-face interviews about BP awareness, risk factors, and hazards of hypertension and treatment options including life-style interventions.
Overall, 15% identified themselves as hypertensive, which is similar to results from 1978 (14%) but significantly higher than 1998 (12%; P < 0.01). The proportion of hypertensives not undertaking any measure (i.e., pharmacotherapy or life-style changes) significantly decreased since 1998 (5% vs. 10%; P < 0.0001). Thirty-three percent recalled to have measured their BP within the last 3 months, which is comparable to 1998 (34%) but lower than in 1978 (49%) after the nationwide educational BP campaign (P < 0.0001). Alarmingly, an unchanged proportion of 8% reported no BP measurement ever (1978 and 1998: 8%, respectively). Sixty-one percent believed they would be able to clearly identify symptoms of hypertension, while only 19% knew that hypertension might not be noticeable. Heart attack and stroke were considered the most common sequelae of hypertension.
Despite a high understanding of the risks of hypertension among the Austrian population, a widespread misconception regarding BP symptoms and infrequent personal checks are worrisome and might also be valid in other Western countries.
血压（BP）意识是公共卫生工作的主要重点。1978 年在奥地利进行了一次全国性的教育运动后，人们对高血压的知识和认识有所提高，但随后的调查仅记录了短期影响。我们报告了 2009 年的最新调查结果，并与 1978 年和 1998 年的结果进行了比较。
根据奥地利人口统计学特征进行平衡，随机选择了 1005 名年龄在 15 岁以上的男女进行面对面访谈，内容涉及 BP 意识、危险因素、高血压危害以及治疗选择，包括生活方式干预。
总体而言，15%的人自我认定为高血压患者，这与 1978 年的结果（14%）相似，但明显高于 1998 年（12%；P<0.01）。自 1998 年以来，未采取任何措施（即药物治疗或生活方式改变）的高血压患者比例显著下降（5%对 10%；P<0.0001）。33%的人回忆在过去 3 个月内测量过血压，这与 1998 年（34%）相似，但低于 1978 年（49%）在全国性的 BP 教育运动后（P<0.0001）。令人震惊的是，比例不变的 8%的人表示从未测量过血压（1978 年和 1998 年：分别为 8%）。61%的人认为他们能够清楚地识别高血压的症状，而只有 19%的人知道高血压可能没有明显的症状。心脏病发作和中风被认为是高血压最常见的后遗症。
尽管奥地利人口对高血压的风险有很高的认识，但对 BP 症状的广泛误解和不频繁的个人检查令人担忧，这在其他西方国家也可能存在。
