Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Review Article

Arterial hypertension in Poland in 2002

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 18, pages 557–562 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Arterial hypertension represents a serious medical, social and economic problem in Poland. Owing to a small number of studies concerning HT epidemiology in Poland and large differences in methodology, it is difficult to make an objective verification of the changes regarding principal parameters in our country within the last decade. Important programme for the assessment of the situation in our country is NATPOL PLUS, carried out in the year 2002 on a representative sample of 3051 adult Polish residents aged between 18 and 93 years, using the current diagnostic criteria for arterial hypertension (blood pressure readings obtained at three separate visits in cases of newly detected HT, different cuff sizes for different arm circumference, age range 18–93 years, rejection of first measurement during initial screening visit). Prevalence of HT in Poland is 29%, awareness—67%, and effectiveness of treatment—12%. This means that while HT affects about 8.4 million adult Poles, only 1 million of them get effective treatment. Moreover, as much as 8.7 million Poles have high normal blood pressure and they should apply active prevention. The awareness, detection and control of hypertension is much worse in men than in women. A series of NATPOL studies indicated over the period 1994–2002 a significant and rapid decrease in the awareness of one's own blood pressure among the adult Polish population, especially in small towns and villages, among less educated people, and in males.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wojtyniak B, Chańska M, Goryński P . Health situation in Poland in 1996. Państwowy Zakład Higieny. Biuro Monitoringu Narodowego Programu Zdrowia. Warszawa, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Burke GL et al. Mortality attributable to hypertension in eastern Europe compared to the United States. CVD Prev 2000; 3: 213–220.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dustan HP, Rocella EJ, Garrison HH . Controlling hypertension, a research success story. Arch Int Med 1996; 156: 1926–1935.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Burt VL et al. Trends in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the adult US population. Data from the health examination surveys, 1960 to 1991. Hypertension 1995; 26: 60–69.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. World Hypertension League Statement. Hypertension control in the world: an agenda for the coming decade. Based on 1995 WHL Ottawa Declaration. J Hum Hypertens 1997; 11: 245–247.

  6. Krupa-Wojciechowska B, Rynkiewicz A . Arterial hypertension in Poland. Questionnaire based survey. Kardiol Pol 1995; 42: 307–311.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Zdrojewski T et al. Prevalence and control of arterial hypertension in Poland in 1997 estimated by means of representative survey. Arter Hypertens 1998; 2(Abstr Suppl): S8.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Zdrojewski T et al. Have rapid socioeconomic changes influenced awareness of blood pressure in Poland? J Hum Hypertens 2001; 15: 247–253.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Steczkowki J . Representative Survey In Economic and Social Research. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN: Warszawa-Kraków, 1995.

  10. The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, Treatment of High Blood Pressure. The sixth report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VI). Arch Intern Med 1997; 157: 2413–2445.

  11. WHO/ISH. Guidelines Subcommittee: 1999 World Health Organization—International Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension. J Hypertens 1999; 17: 151–183.

  12. Zdrojewski T et al. The prevalence of hypertension assessed on the basis of one instead of three visits, can be largely overestimated. Arter Hypertens 2002; 4(Abstr Suppl): S26.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Staesen JA et al. Randomized double-blind comparison of placebo and active treatment for older patients with isolated systolic hypertension. Lancet 1997; 350: 757–764.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Central Statistical Office. Demographic Yearbook 200. Central Statiscal Office: Warszawa, 2001.

  15. Zdrojewski T et al. Treatment of hypertension and pharmacoeconomic aspects of hypotensive therapy in elderly in Poland. Pol Arch Med Wewn (Pol Arch Intern Med) 1999; 102: 787–796.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Kąkol M et al. Prevalence, awareness and control of arterial hypertension in elderly in Poland—estimates from representative survey. Gerontol Pol (Polish Gerontology) 1999; 7: 23–29.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bakx C et al. The influence of cuff on blood pressure measurement. J Hum Hypertens 1997; 11: 439–445.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Zdrojewski T et al. The circumference of the arm and accuracy of blood pressure measurements. J Hypertens 2000; 18(Abstr Suppl2): S53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Pająk A, Kawalec E . Prevalence and control of arterial hypertension. Results of Pol-MONICA program in Kraków. Medipress Kardiol 1994; 1: 3–6.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Rywik S et al. Poland and US Collaborative Study on Cardiovascular Epidemiology. Hypertension in the community: prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the Pol-MONICA project and the U.S. atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Ann Epidemiol 1998; 8: 3–13.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Broda G, Zdrojewski T . Czy w Polsce na progu XXI wieku nadcisnienie tętnicze jest prawidłowo diagnozowane i skutecznie leczone. Kardiol Pol 2002; 56: 230–233.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Zdrojewski T et al. Awareness of blood pressure decreased dramatically during last decade in Poland. Eur Heart J 2002; 23(Abstr Suppl): S199.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Krupa-Wojciechowska B et al. ‘Take your blood pressure once a year’. Program of prevention of arterial hypertension in Poland. Arter Hypertens 1997; 1: 56–59.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Swales JD . Hypertension in the political arena. Hypertension 2000; 35: 1179–1192.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Zdrojewski T et al. Screening of major cardiovascular risk factors among Members of the Polish Parliament as health marketing among Polish decision-makers for efficient cardiovascular prevention. Kardiol Pol 2002; 56: 207–211.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The NATPOL PLUS project was prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Health from the funds of the National Stroke Prevention and Treatment Program and with the support of the following sponsors: Polpharma, MSD, Polfa Kutno and Dade Behring. The NATPOL PLUS project was carried out under the auspices of the Minister of Health, Rector of the Medical University in Gdañsk, the boards of the Polish Society of Cardiolology, Polish Society of Hypertension, Polish Diabetes Society, Polish Society on Atherosclerosis Research, and with the endorsement of the European Society of Cardiology and the Joint European Societies Cardiovascular Prevention Committee.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hypertension and Diabetology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Kraków

    T Zdrojewski, P Szpakowski & P Bandosz

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Population Studies, Institute of Public Health, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Kraków

    A Pająk

  3. Department of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Silesian University School of Medicine, Katowice, Poland

    A Więcek, B Krupa-Wojciechowska & B Wyrzykowski

Authors
  1. T Zdrojewski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P Szpakowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P Bandosz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A Pająk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A Więcek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. B Krupa-Wojciechowska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. B Wyrzykowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T Zdrojewski.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zdrojewski, T., Szpakowski, P., Bandosz, P. et al. Arterial hypertension in Poland in 2002. J Hum Hypertens 18, 557–562 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001739

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001739

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links