Epidemiology of hypertension and other cardiovascular disease risk factors in the urban population of Soussa, Tunisia

To illustrate the distribution of hypertension in the community, an epidemiological survey was conducted based on a representative sample of 957 adults aged >/= 20 years resident in Soussa, Tunisia in 1995. The prevalence of hypertension according to the new World Health Organization criteria [systolic blood pressure >140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure >90 mmHg] was 28.9%. Hypertension was significantly higher in cases with obesity, android obesity and for persons aged >40 years. History of diabetes was found in 10.2% of cases, obesity in 27.7%, overweight in 56.7%, android obesity in 36.0% and smoking in 61.4% of men and 4.2% of women