Prevalência de hipertensão arterial sistêmica entre os participantes de um projeto de tratamento do tabagismo.

Abstract

Smoking is a major problem of public health and the leading cause of preventable death, accounting for about 6 million deaths a year worldwide and is considered pandemic by the World Health Organization. Likewise, heart diseases are the most prevalent cause of death and disability worldwide, and are directly related to high blood pressure. Smoking is established as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients and its cessation is of fundamental importance in the treatment of hypertension. Objectives: To measure the prevalence of systemic hypertension in patients enrolled in the project Smoking Treatment: Multidisciplinary Approach (PTEM) in the period 2009-2012. Methods: Cross-sectional study by screening questionnaires for all patients, of both sexes, attended during the stated period who had hypertension at the time of admission to the project. Results: The data showed that 27.5% of the participants had hypertension. The results of t- tests showed significant results with regard to hypertension and duration of smoking, with a higher average length of smoking among hypertensive patients (mean=36.20, SD=12.79, p = 0.01.) For formal education, it was not found significant result, but it is possible to observe that the postgraduates had higher percentages of hypertension (44%). The practice of exercises was the only variable which showed significance (p=0.05), with a higher prevalence of hypertension in those who praticed less physical exercises. Conclusion: There was a higher prevalence of hypertension among smokers, compared with the prevalence in the general population and a possible relationship between years of smoking and higher blood pressure levels. However it is necessary that further studies approach this issue, in order to obtain more consistent results.