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Prevalence of high blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors from a community screening programme in the Middle-East; a 3-year analysis of data from the May Measurement Month programme (2017–2019) in Oman

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 36, pages 453–460 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

The May Measurement Month (MMM) programme is a global cross-sectional blood pressure (BP) screening programme. Here we present the combined data for the years 2017–2019 from Oman. BP was measured at various screening sites, according to standard protocol and hypertension was diagnosed if the BP was ≥140/90 mmHg or if the individual was already on antihypertensive medication. A total of 15,679 individuals (mean age 41.1 ± 12.6 years range 18–89 years; 71% male) were screened over the 3-year period. 7702 individuals (mean age 41.8 ± 13.9 years; 71.5% male) had three BP readings. The mean of the last two BP readings was 127.3 ± 17.1 mmHg. 1573 readings were in the hypertensive range (1004 newly diagnosed hypertension). A further 749 individuals were on antihypertensive medications with normal BP readings giving a proportion of 30.1% of the entire cohort being hypertensive. BP was high in 43% of patients on antihypertensive medications, 28.1% of those with previous myocardial infarction, 33.9% of those with previous stroke and 37.6% of the diabetic patients. BP strongly correlated with body mass index (BMI) and age (both p < 0.001), with a large proportion (68.5%) of individuals having high BMI(>25 kg/m2). Arab and South Asian ethnicity was associated with higher BMI and BP (both p < 0.001).Community screening programmes help identify previously undiagnosed hypertension and hypertensives with high BP. They also help to identify those at high cardiovascular risk. More emphasis should be given to monitoring those in high cardiovascular risk categories and high-risk ethnic groups.

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Fig. 1: The average blood pressure among the different age groups.
Fig. 2: The average systolic blood pressure in the different BMI categories.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the volunteers who helped screen the patients and especially the nursing directorate of the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital for helping to set up the various blood pressure monitoring booths in the hospital. We also thank Omron Ltd for supplying some of the Blood pressure measuring apparatus for use during the campaign.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Directorate of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman

    Hassan Al-Riyami & Ibrahim Al-Shezawi

  2. Department of Clinical Physiology, Sultan Qaboos university Hospital, Muscat, Oman

    Suhaib Al-Mashari

  3. Department of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, 123, Oman

    Adil Al-Riyami, Hatim Al-Lawati, Hafidh Al-Hadi, Muhammad M. Shaikh & Sunil K. Nadar

  4. Department of Medicine, Badar Al-Samaa Hospital, Ruwi, Muscat, Oman

    Benny Panakkal & Shafeek Mohammed

  5. Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, Imperial College London, Stadium House, 68 Wood Lane, London, UK

    Thomas Beaney & Neil R. Poulter

  6. Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, St Dunstan’s Road, London, UK

    Thomas Beaney

Authors
  1. Hassan Al-Riyami
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  2. Ibrahim Al-Shezawi
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  3. Suhaib Al-Mashari
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  4. Adil Al-Riyami
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  5. Hatim Al-Lawati
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  6. Hafidh Al-Hadi
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  10. Thomas Beaney
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  11. Neil R. Poulter
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  12. Sunil K. Nadar
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Contributions

Data collection: Hal-Riyami, IA, SA, AA, H-Allawati, H. Al-Hadi, BP, SM, MM, Data analysis: TB, NRP, SKN. Manuscript writing: H-Al-Riyami, SKN, TB.

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Correspondence to Sunil K. Nadar.

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Al-Riyami, H., Al-Shezawi, I., Al-Mashari, S. et al. Prevalence of high blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors from a community screening programme in the Middle-East; a 3-year analysis of data from the May Measurement Month programme (2017–2019) in Oman. J Hum Hypertens 36, 453–460 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-021-00616-2

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