Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Hypertension for the Middle-Aged Population (30–59 Years) in Iran: A National Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction The prevalence of hypertension (HTN) is increasing in the middle-aged population, but few studies have examined the prevalence and risk factors associated with hypertension in this age group. Aim To estimate the prevalence of HTN and its associated demographic risk factors in the middle-aged population (30–59 years) of Iran. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 4112 middle-aged people from five provinces of the country were selected by multi-stage sampling and entered into the study. HTN or high blood pressure (HBP) was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg. The relationship between demographic risk factors and the prevalence of HTN was assessed by multivariate logistic regression in Stata software version 14. Results The prevalence of HTN was 17.8% (95% CI 16.5–19.0) and was higher in women than men (19.1% vs. 16.5%). The prevalence of HTN in three studied age groups including 30–39, 40–49 and 50–59 years were 7.2, 18.7 and 38.0%, respectively. The frequency of HTN in urban residents was higher than rural residents (18.4% vs. 15.6%). The chance of developing hypertension in urban residents (OR 1.25), overweight (OR 3.94) and obese persons (OR 7.54) was higher. Conclusions Hypertension has a relatively high prevalence in the middle-aged Iranian population. According to our results, age, living in urban regions, being illiterate, overweight and obesity are independent risk factors for HBP. It seems that the administration of prevention programs in general population especially in younger ages based on existing risk factors is a necessity.