Hypertension detected in young black women by routine screening in a family planning clinics.

The prevalence of hypertension, defined as a diastolic blood pressure over 100 mmHg, among young Black women who attended a family planning clinic in Johannesburg, was 2,85%, while in those over 35 years of age it was 8,5%. There was no correlation between hypertension and urbanisation, occupation or urinary sodium output. Within 6 months of diagnoisis, 84% of the women with hypertension had defaulted from the treatment clinic. Family planning clinics can economically screen patients for hypertension, but in this community a separate screening programme would not succeed until patient compliance has improved.