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.