[Trends in the blood pressure distribution and prevalence of hypertension among Chinese adult residents from 1982 to 2015].

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the trend of blood pressure distribution and hypertension prevalence among adult residents in China from 1982 to 2015.

Methods: The data was sourced from six rounds of cross-sectional data: the 1982 National Nutrition Survey, the 1992 National Nutrition Survey, the 2002 China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance, the 2012 China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance, and the 2015 China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance. The study subjects were adult residents aged 18 years and above. Systolic blood pressure≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure≥90 mmHg, or those who had taken anti-hypertensive drugs in the past two weeks were defined as hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was calculated for each round of study subjects.

Results: The total number of people surveyed in each round from 1982 to 2015 were 26 718, 7793, 140 404, 117 391 and 172 989, respectively. For adult Chinese residents, the main characteristic of changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure is a rightward shift in the curve and a wider distribution range. The systolic blood pressure moves more to the right than the diastolic blood pressure, and the distribution range changes more widely. On the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile curves, systolic blood pressure increases with age for both males and females, with the fastest growth rate observed between the ages of 40 and 60. Diastolic blood pressure first increases and then decreases with age. The higher percentiles of all genders and age groups show more growth. For each percentile curve, the growth rate of males is greater than that of females. The prevalence of hypertension among adult residents in China has been on the rise from 9.6% in 1982 to 28.6% in 2015. The prevalence of hypertension in both males and females is on the rise, with males increasing from 10.9% in 1982 to 31.3% in 2015, and females increasing from 8.2% in 1982 to 25.9% in 2015. In all rounds of monitoring, the prevalence of hypertension in males is higher than that in females. The prevalence of hypertension in various age groups is on the rise. The prevalence of hypertension in the 18-44 age group increased from 5.7% in 1982 to 14.2% in 2015 the prevalence of hypertension in the 45-64 age group increased from 14.8% in 1982 to 42.4% in 2015, and the prevalence of hypertension in the 65-year-old group increased from 25.1% in 1982 to 66.0% in 2015. Moreover, the prevalence of hypertension increases with age. The prevalence of hypertension in both urban and rural areas is on the rise. The prevalence of hypertension in urban areas has increased from 10.5% in 1982 to 26.3% in 2015, while in rural areas it has increased from 9.0% in 1982 to 31.3% in 2015. Starting from 2015, the prevalence of hypertension in rural areas has surpassed that in urban areas. The prevalence of hypertension in both the normal and overweight/obese populations is on the rise. The prevalence of hypertension in the normal population increased from 8.6% in 1982 to 19.7% in 2015, while the prevalence of hypertension in the overweight/obese population increased from 16.6% in 1982 to 38.8% in 2015. Moreover, the prevalence of hypertension in the overweight/obese population was higher than that in the normal population in each round of monitoring.

Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension among adult residents in China has been on the rise from 1982 to 2015. The prevalence of hypertension increases with age and is higher in males than in females. Starting from 2015, the prevalence of hypertension among rural residents has surpassed that of urban residents, and the prevalence of hypertension among overweight and obese individuals is higher than that of the normal population.