College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2013 Jul-Aug;28(4):330-7. doi: 10.1097/JCN.0b013e31825638ae.
Hypertension (HTN) is a major risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Hypertension detection and blood pressure (BP) control are critically important for reducing the risk of myocardial infarction and strokes. Although there are more than 3.5 million Arab Americans in the United States, there are no national or regional data on HTN prevalence among Arab Americans.
This study aims to estimate the prevalence of HTN in a community sample of Arab Americans; assess levels of awareness, treatment, and control in hypertensive patients; and describe and compare lifestyle behaviors (eg, physical activity, nutrition, and weight control).
In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, 126 participants completed a self-administered questionnaire to measure physical activity, nutrition, and medical history. Height and weight were measured. Three BP measurements were obtained at 60-second intervals after resting for 5 minutes. Hypertension was defined as a mean systolic BP of 140 mm Hg or higher, or a diastolic BP 90 mm Hg or higher, and/or taking antihypertensive medications.
Overall, 36.5% of participants had HTN and 39.7% had pre-HTN. Among hypertensive participants, only 67.4% were aware of their high BP, and 52.2% were taking antihypertensive medication. Among those taking medication, 46% had controlled BP. The prevalence of HTN was higher in men than in women (45.9% and 23.2%, respectively; P = .029) and increased with age (P = .01). Hypertensive participants also had higher body mass index (mean, 31.55 kg/m) compared with normotensive participants (mean, 28.37 kg/m; P = .01).
Our results indicate that HTN and pre-HTN are highly prevalent in Arab Americans. Hypertension awareness and control rates were inadequate and low compared with national data. These results emphasize the urgent need to develop public health strategies to improve the prevention, detection, and treatment of HTN among Arab Americans.
高血压（HTN）是心脏病的一个主要危险因素，而心脏病是美国的首要死因。高血压的检出和血压（BP）控制对于降低心肌梗死和中风的风险至关重要。尽管美国有超过 350 万的阿拉伯裔美国人，但目前还没有关于美国阿拉伯裔人群中高血压患病率的全国性或区域性数据。
本研究旨在评估美国阿拉伯裔社区人群中高血压的患病率；评估高血压患者的知晓率、治疗率和控制率；并描述和比较生活方式行为（如身体活动、营养和体重控制）。
在这项横断面描述性研究中，126 名参与者完成了一份自我管理问卷，以测量身体活动、营养和病史。测量了身高和体重。休息 5 分钟后，每隔 60 秒测量 3 次血压。高血压定义为平均收缩压 140mmHg 或以上，或舒张压 90mmHg 或以上，和/或服用降压药物。
总体而言，36.5%的参与者患有高血压，39.7%的参与者患有前期高血压。在高血压患者中，只有 67.4%的人知晓自己的高血压，52.2%的人正在服用降压药物。在服用药物的患者中，46%的人血压得到了控制。男性高血压患病率高于女性（分别为 45.9%和 23.2%；P=0.029），且随年龄增长而增加（P=0.01）。与血压正常的参与者相比，高血压患者的体重指数（平均 31.55kg/m）也更高（平均 28.37kg/m；P=0.01）。
我们的结果表明，高血压和前期高血压在阿拉伯裔美国人中非常普遍。高血压的知晓率和控制率与全国数据相比明显不足且较低。这些结果强调迫切需要制定公共卫生策略，以改善美国阿拉伯裔人群中高血压的预防、检测和治疗。
