Optimal Strategy of Hypertension Screening in a Nationwide Health Examination: Early and Periodic Blood Pressure Measurement

摘要

Hypertension (HTN) occurs in approximately 30% of the adult Korean population; it is the major contributing factor for cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke.1) HTN is therefore known as a disease that results in significant medical costs. According to the Korean National Health Insurance Service (KNHIS) statistics, the estimated medical cost of treating HTN in 2020 in Korea was 3,830 billion Korean Won (KRW), accounting for 16% of medical expenses for chronic diseases.2) Therefore, early detection of HTN will help reducing future cardiovascular disease, and thus ultimately reduce the medical cost. However, in the Korea Hypertension Fact Sheet 2020, the awareness of HTN among the Korean population was only 67%2) and it has plateaued over the past 10 years.1) Moreover, its rate in patients aged under 50 years with HTN has remained below 50%.2) In comparison, in the United States, the awareness of HTN among adults was quite high, approximately 77%, when assessed in 2017–2018.3) Increasing awareness regarding HTN is a significant public health issue.