Department of Internal Medicine, Lebanese American University Medical Center - Rizk Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.
Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon.
J Hum Hypertens. 2021 Aug;35(8):657-666. doi: 10.1038/s41371-021-00508-5. Epub 2021 Mar 2.
This review aims to explore the burden of hypertension among refugees in the Middle East by reporting its prevalence, risk factors and access to care. A comprehensive literature search was performed using Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, SCOPUS, CINHAL+, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on articles spanning from 1948 until 2020. Most studies were cross-sectional in design. After applying eligibility criteria 17 articles and 4 reports were included. Findings showed that hypertension represents a major burden among refugees. Hypertension risk factors present among the refugee population included increased salt intake, physical inactivity, and smoking. The majority of hypertensive refugees sought care for their condition at the public health care services. Barriers to seeking care included high cost of healthcare, accessibility to provided services, and lack of knowledge for the need to seek care. Non-adherence to medication among refugees was primarily linked to cost and lack of symptoms. This review highlights the need for further studies to shed light on the importance of targeting hypertension among refugees, to lower morbidity and mortality, in addition to providing adequate healthcare services to this population.
本次综述旨在通过报告其患病率、危险因素和获得医疗服务的情况，来探讨中东难民的高血压负担。我们使用 Web of Science、Ovid MEDLINE、PubMed、SCOPUS、CINHAL+、世界卫生组织东地中海区域办事处（EMRO）和联合国难民署（UNHCR），对自 1948 年至 2020 年期间发表的文章进行了全面的文献检索。大多数研究的设计都是横断面研究。在应用纳入标准后，有 17 篇文章和 4 份报告被纳入。研究结果表明，高血压是难民面临的主要负担之一。难民群体中存在的高血压危险因素包括盐摄入量增加、缺乏身体活动和吸烟。大多数高血压难民在公共医疗服务机构寻求治疗。寻求治疗的障碍包括医疗保健费用高、提供服务的可及性以及缺乏寻求治疗的知识。难民中药物不依从性主要与费用和缺乏症状有关。本次综述强调了进一步研究的必要性，以阐明针对难民高血压的重要性，以降低发病率和死亡率，并为这一人群提供充足的医疗服务。
