ABSTRACT
The criteria used to define hypertension, and the detection,
awareness, and control of hypertension have varied over
time and between countries. To provide context for the
current chapter and comparability across regions, a
common set of definitions were used in collecting and
analyzing these data. Hypertension was defined as a systo-
lic blood pressure .140 mmHg and/or a diastolic blood pressure .90 mmHg and/or the current use of blood pressure lowering medications. Hypertension detection
refers to the diagnosis of hypertension by a healthcare pro-
vider and hypertension awareness refers to the patient’s
knowledge of this diagnosis. These terms are not synon-
ymous; many patients may have their hypertension
detected but remain unaware of this diagnosis. In popu-
lation-based surveys, limited data are available on the
previous detection of hypertension. Therefore, in this
chapter, hypertension detection and awareness were used
interchangeably and defined as a patients’ knowledge
(i.e., awareness) of their diagnosis of hypertension.
Finally, hypertension control was defined as systolic and
diastolic blood pressure ,140 mmHg and ,90 mmHg, respectively.