Keywords
health care organization
arterial hypertension
cardiovascular diseases
How to Cite
Abstract
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Background. Hypertension remains one of the most important problems of global public health, being a leading cause of premature death. Insufficient blood pressure control in the general population is directly proportional to the potential number of hypertensive crises. This reinforces the central role of the family physician in the prevention and timely management of arterial hypertension to reduce the significant burden on the national healthcare system.
Aim. To assess the prevalence of hypertensive crises among the working-age population upon patient presentation to a primary healthcare center.
Materials and Methods. The study was based on a retrospective analysis of visits to the Communal Non-Profit Enterprise "Family Doctor Clinic" of the Shyroke Village Council, which is a Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC). Data on visits were obtained from the Helsi medical information system for the period from January 2024 to December 2025 inclusive. Statistical analysis was performed using PSPP 1.2.0 (Free Software Foundation, Inc., USA). Comparison of the obtained data was performed using the non-parametric χ2 test. The null hypothesis was rejected at p<0.05. The study was conducted as a private initiative of the authors, without grant funding or state registration of the research topic.
Research Ethics. The study was not related to patient treatment; therefore, it did not require approval by an ethics committee or obtaining informed consent. Patient data were obtained and processed in a generalized, anonymized form.
Results. The number of declared patients was 19,103 in 2024 and 18,425 in 2025. A statistically significant increase in the prevalence of hypertensive crises among PHC declarants was found in 2025 compared to 2024: from 6.30% to 9.65% (p<0.001), corresponding to an increase in the rate from 6,297 to 9,650 cases per 100,000 population. The prevalence of uncomplicated crises increased from 4.49% to 6.26%, and complicated crises – from 1.81% to 3.39% (p<0.001). The relative increase in complicated forms (87.3%) exceeded that of uncomplicated crises (39.4%), indicating an increase in the proportion of patients at high risk of cardiovascular complications.
Conclusions. During 2024–2025, a statistically significant increase in the prevalence of hypertensive crises among the working-age population was observed, accompanied by an increase in the proportion of complicated forms. The obtained results emphasize the need to improve arterial hypertension prevention, optimize follow-up, increase patient adherence to antihypertensive therapy, and timely identify individuals at high risk of hypertensive crisis at the primary healthcare level.
Keywords: epidemiology, health care organization, arterial hypertension, cardiovascular diseases.
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