Abstract
Hypertension is believed to be one of the most common diseases affecting mankind. The prevalence of hypertension varies in different populations. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of hypertension in adult Saudi population. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in 35 different areas of Saudi Arabia on 14660 adult Saudis (males = 6162; females = 8498). Blood pressure was recorded by a trained nurse using a mercury sphygmomanometer, when the individuals were in sitting position. The second of two readings taken at 3-5 min interval was recorded. Based on the criteria of WHO, individuals were grouped as normotensive or hypertensive. Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension in Saudi population was obtained separately for the males and females. The highest prevalence of hypertension was in the Eastern province and the lowest in the Central and South-Western provinces. Further grouping was carried out according to the areas in which the individuals belonged within each province. Considerable variation was seen in the prevalence, where in the males the prevalence ranged from 1.4 to 18.71% and in the females it ranged from 0.9 to 14%. Discussion and conclusion: This study has determined the prevalence of hypertension as judged from the systolic and diastolic pressures measured only at one occasion. The results showed that though the overall prevalence of hypertension is significantly lower in most of the areas of Saudi Arabia, in some areas particularly in the Eastern province fairly high prevalence rates are obtained. These differences may result from either genetic make up, dietary habits or other environmental factors affecting the populations in different regions of Saudi Arabia. This paper provides a comprehensive coverage of hypertension prevalence in Saudi population.