May Measurement Month 2019: Screening Analysis In Spanish Community Pharmacies and Detection of Masked Hypertension

Aim: To know within the scope of the May Measurement Month (MMM) project, the blood pressure (BP) situation in the Spanish population, disseminate the importance of its periodic measurement and estimate the prevalence of masked hypertension (MH).

Methods: Transversal descriptive study in Spanish community pharmacies during May 2019. Subjects: adult users who agreed to take part.

Variables: systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in millimetres of mercury (mmHg), heart rate (HR) in beats per minute (bpm).

Subjects with BP ≥130/85 and <149/90 were offered the possibility of home blood pressure monitor- ing (HBPM) to confirm MH.

Results: A total of 3402 valid records performed by 491 pharmacists. In all 61.9% women, mean age

56.6 years. A total of 143 (4.2%) had never measured BP and 918 (27.0%) had not measured BP in the last year; 1047 were taking anti-hypertensives, of whom 45.7% had high BP.

A total of 780 (22.9%) subjects had high BP values; both, 252 (7.4%). mSBP and mDBP was 125.0 mmHg and 76.5 mmHg, respectively; higher in men (P<0.001). mHR was 72.6 bpm.

A direct relationship was detected between SBP and DBP and BMI (P<0.0001). mSBP and mHR were higher in smokers (P<0.0001). In diabetic patients, SBP, DBP and HR were greater.

A total of 61 subjects with suspected MH agreed to undergo HBPM. A total of 25 (40.1%) resulted in BP ≥135/85 mmHg.

Conclusions: Almost a quarter of subjects had BP ≥140/90 mmHg. The risk factors most closely related to high BP were overweight, diabetes and age; 40% of suspected cases of MH were confirmed by means of HBPM.