TY - JOUR AU - Marinov, Lyubomir PY - 2020/06/19 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - RESEARCH OF BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION JF - KNOWLEDGE - International Journal JA - kij VL - 40 IS - 4 SE - Articles DO - UR - https://ikm.mk/ojs/index.php/kij/article/view/923 SP - 727 - 733 AB - <p>Arterial hypertension is the leading global risk of mortality responsible for 9.4 million deaths in 2010. Increased blood pressure is the cause of non-fatal and fatal stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death, with 50% of incidents persons aged 45 to 69 years. Every third person in the world has high blood pressure and only one in three is effectively treated. Bulgaria has a hypertension rate of about 55% compared to an average of 30-45% for Europe. Stroke mortality is considered one of the most reliable indicators of the incidence and control of hypertension.<br>According to a 2013 WHO report, the increasing prevalence of hypertension is due to population growth, aging and behavioral risk factors such as unhealthy diet, harmful alcohol use, lack of physical activity, overweight and exposure to constant stress. The adverse health effects of hypertension are compounded as many affected people have other health risk factors that increase the likelihood of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. These risk factors include tobacco use, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes mellitus. Tobacco use increases the risk of complications among those with hypertension. In 2008, 1 billion people are smokers, and the worldwide prevalence of obesity has almost doubled since 1980. Tobacco use, unhealthy diets, harmful alcohol use and physical inactivity are also the main risk factors for behavior in all major non-communicable diseases, ie. cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancer. According to the concept of risk factors, which is the theoretical and practical basis of modern medicine, risk factors, and especially behavioral risk factors, such as harmful nutritional and motor stereotypes, smoking, systemic alcohol consumption and other, play a decisive role in the health of the individual and the population.<br>This study examines behavioral risk factors in patients with hypertension. The study was conducted in the period June - September 2019 in the territories of Vratsa, Montana and Vidin. 450 persons with established hypertension were interviewed. The information collected includes: the health status of the interviewees, adherence to the prescribed medication and non-medication therapy, changes in lifestyle, control over blood pressure values. The results revealed a high proportion of smokers, dietary failure, high levels of salt consumption, overweight and obesity, non-adherence to prescribed medication. The assessment of the attitudes towards cooperation and self-control of the disease by adhering to a healthy lifestyle and avoiding behavioral risk factors shows that a large part of the respondents rely on the misconception that the responsibility for health falls exclusively and only on those who treat them, such as the personal responsibility for one's own health, which is key to the successful treatment of hypertension, is neglected.</p> ER -