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High prevalence of hypertension and early vascular aging: a screening program in pharmacies in Upper Austria

Abstract

Cardiovascular mortality is the leading cause of death in Austria, with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) as a major risk factor. Increased arterial stiffness can indicate high cardiovascular risk. In a screening project, we acquired brachial waveforms with automated oscillometric devices in 45 public pharmacies and at 2 public health events in Upper Austria. Brachial BP was measured, and aortic pulse wave velocity (aoPWV) was estimated, using age, systolic BP, and waveform characteristics, with the validated ARCSolver algorithm. Using age-specific percentiles from a previous population study, we defined healthy (HVA) and early (EVA) vascular aging. In a subgroup, 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring was performed to verify hypertension status. Overall, 10,973 individuals (age 20–94 years) participated. Mean BP was 133/83 mm Hg. In all, 38.1% of participants had elevated BPs (≥140/90 mm Hg), 57.3% out of 3980 participants with known hypertension, and 29.5% out of 6066 participants without known hypertension. In all, 1.0% of participants had aoPWV below 10th reference percentile (HVA), with a negligible proportion above 60 years. In total, 37.3% were above the 90th reference percentile (EVA), with proportions rising from one-quarter in youngest partcipants to one-half in oldest participants. In participants with EVA, BP in the pharmacy was elevated in 79.5%. We were able to motivate a high number of customers at pharmacies to participate in a screening program by combining the measurements of BP and vascular aging. However, awareness and control of arterial hypertension in Austria remains suboptimal, and the high prevalence of EVA is alarming.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their gratefulness to the owners and staff members of the participating pharmacies, to the specialists of Internal medicine who provided ABPM data, and to the study participants. List of participating pharmacies: Hessenplatz-Apotheke, Schubertstraße 1, 4020 Linz, nica Apotheke, Krankenhausstraße 1, 4020 Linz, St. Isidor Apotheke, Schiffmannstr. 7, 4020 Linz, Quirinus Apotheke, Saporoshjestraße 3, 4030 Linz, Blütenapotheke, Traunerstr. 86, 4050 Traun, Apotheke Haid Center, Ikea Platz 8, 4053 Haid, Ikarus-Apotheke, Neubauerstraße 15, 4063 Hörsching, Maria Schutz Apotheke, Hauptplatz 23, 4190 Bad Leonfelden, Johannes Apotheke, Wagnerweg 2, 4203 Altenberg, Apotheke Hagenberg, Hauptstraße 90, 4232 Hagenberg, St. Georg Apotheke, Färbergasse 5, 4222 St. Georgen a.d.G., Cella Apotheke, Marktplatz 28/3, 4283 Bad Zell, Mariahilf Apotheke, Poschacherstrasse 2, 4310 Mauthausen, Alte Stadtapotheke Steyr, Stadtplatz 7, 4400 Steyr, Apotheke Losenstein, Eisenstr 101, 4460 Losenstein, Iris-Apotheke Kronstorf, Hauptstraße 42, 4484 Kronstorf, Steyrtalapotheke, Josef Teufel Platz 1, 4523 Neuzeug, Salvator-Apotheke, Hauptplatz 17, 4560 Kirchdorf an der Krems, Apotheke Micheldorf, An den Mühlen 5, 4563 Micheldorf, Nationalparkapotheke Molln, Marktstraße 6, 4591 Molln, Thalheim-Apotheke, Rodlbergerstraße 35, 4600 Thalheim b. Wels, Adler-Apotheke, Stadtplatz 12–14, 4600 Wels, Apotheke Nord, Oberfeldstraße 95, 4600 Wels, Einhorn-Apotheke, Plobergerstraße 7, 4600 Wels, Falken-Apotheke, Salzburger Str. 89, 4600 Wels, Föhren-Apotheke, Föhrenstraße 15, 4600 Wels, Franziskus-Apotheke, Oberfeldstraße 54, 4600 Wels, Linden-Apotheke, Wimpassinger Str. 34, 4600 Wels, Schutzengel-Apotheke, Eferdinger Str. 20, 4600 Wels, SCW-Apotheke, Salzburger Str. 223, 4600 Wels, Seinbock-Apotheke, Hans-Sachs-Str. 80, 4600 Wels, Stern-Apotheke, Bahnhofstraße 11, 4600 Wels, Sonnen-Apotheke, Welser Straße 6, 4623 Gunskirchen, A1 Apotheke, Neue Landstraße 72, 4655 Vorchdorf, Almtal Apotheke, Bahnhofstraße 30, 4655 Vorchdorf, Helios Apotheke, Gmundner Straße 32, 4663 Laakirchen, Traun-Apotheke, Wolfstraße 6, 4663 Laakirchen, Apotheke Rizy Schlüßlberg, Handelspark 20, 4707 Schlüßlberg, Apotheke Rizy Grieskirchen, Stadtplatz 28, 4710 Grieskirchen, St. Michael Apotheke, Hauptstraße 20, 4770 Andorf, Apotheke Puchheim, Puchheimerstr. 33, 4800 Attnang-Puchheim, Schutzengel-Apotheke, Kirchengasse 1, 4802 Ebensee, Seebergapotheke, Bahnhofstraße 41, 4802 Ebensee, Stadtapotheke Altmüster, Marktstraße 16, 4813 Altmünster, Lilienapotheke Altmünster, Seebadstraße 10, 4813 Altmünster, Apotheke Schöndorf, Robert-Kunz-Str. 11, 4840 Vöcklabruck, See-Apotheke, Hauptstraße 32, 4861 Kammer a.A., Rosenwind Apotheke, Anton-Bruckner-Str. 5, 4863 Seewalchen, Edelweiß-Apotheke, Hauptstraße 4a, 4870 Vöcklamarkt, Apotheke “Zum schw. Adler”, Hauptstraße 86, 4890 Frankenmarkt, Apotheke zur Hl. Jungfrau, Marktplatz 4, 4982 Obernberg/Inn. List of participating specialists of Internal Medicine: Michael Felbermayer, MD, 4030 Linz, Johannes Föchterle, MD, 4040 Linz, Reinhold Gilhofer, MD, 4840 Vöcklabruck, Horst Hiemetzberger, MD, 4840 Vöcklabruck, Michael Huber, MD, 4560 Kirchdorf, Gerhard Mitter, MD, 4020 Linz, Ewald Moser, MD, 4020 Linz, Michael Mori, MD, 4320 Perg, Jörg Rohringer, MD, 4060 Leonding, Markus Steininger, MD, 4400 Steyr, Hildegard Topf, MD, 4820 Bad Ischl.

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Danninger, K., Hafez, A., Binder, R.K. et al. High prevalence of hypertension and early vascular aging: a screening program in pharmacies in Upper Austria. J Hum Hypertens 34, 326–334 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-019-0222-y

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