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The coming epidemic: hypertension in rural Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia

2004; Springer Nature; Volume: 19; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/sj.jhh.1001791

1476-5527

J. Hunter Young, P Parler, B Bristol, M J Klag,

Historical and modern epidemiology studies

Eastern Europe is experiencing an epidemic of cardiovascular disease far outpacing rates in Western Europe. This epidemic was heralded by a precipitous rise in hypertension prevalence. The former Soviet states of Central Asia may be facing a similar epidemic. In order to access this threat, we performed a retrospective analysis of data generated during humanitarian medical visits to two villages in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia. The age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension was 39%. Hypertension was much more common among men than women (46 vs 33%, respectively). In addition, the rise in blood pressure with age was striking, surpassing the experience in Western countries. This epidemic of hypertension may herald a coming epidemic of cardiovascular disease in Central Asia.