Hypertension: the European paradox

Despite all the efforts made information to the general public, the European countries are not equal before the screening, monitoring and control of high blood pressure, said Professor Jean-Michel Mallion (CHU de Grenoble) at a press conference in the European Congress on hypertension, which was held in Paris
Hypertension affects 50 million Europeans. It remains an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Europe. Other risk factors include smoking, high blood cholesterol, diabetes and overweight.

"Thanks to international recommendations on the prevention and treatment of hypertension, all Europeans are well informed about the disease. Yet, despite all these efforts to the general public, the European countries are not equal before the screening, monitoring and control of hypertension, "said Dr. Mallion.

Thus, he continues, "the European epidemiological data show a gradient north-south/east-west on risk factors (including diabetes and obesity), access to care and treatment resources (number of drugs available by country). "

According to an observational study on risk factors, called Monica and initiated in the 80s throughout Europe, levels of blood pressure (especially systolic) are on average lower in the South than in the countries North and East. In fact, the prevalence (total number of cases per year) of hypertension is much higher in Finland and Germany and Italy, for example.

In addition, says the specialist, a paradox exists at the national level, "hypertension is better detected and doctors, who have a large number of drugs (180 in total), well within the means to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Yet only one third that are detected and treated normalize their blood. Uncontrolled hypertensive therefore appears a real public health problem. "

"If, however, it is considered hypertensive patients treated and controlled, there is again a disparity and France ranks first in terms of treatment and control of the disease," noted cardiologist adding that in our country, regardless of age, the prevalence of hypertension is less than 20%, the number of people who know that hypertension is around 50%, and among them, two-thirds are treated but only a third is controlled.

"There remains much to do to improve the management and control of this disease, not only in France but throughout Europe," he says.