Blood Pressure Awareness and Knowledge of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases in South Korean Women with Hypertension

Abstract

(1) Background: It is essential to increase the awareness of cardiovascular diseases’ symptoms and reduce treatment delays among women with hypertension (HTN). This study aimed to assess the knowledge of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases’ warning signs (KCVDs), according to awareness of their blood pressure levels (AoBP), and identify the factors associated with KCVDs and AoBP in women with HTN. (2) Methods: This study used the data from the Korea Community Health Survey of 2018. A total of 29,832 women with HTN were included in the final analysis. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, KCVDs, and AoBP were identified. A negative binomial regression was used to identify factors associated with KCVDs. (3) Results: Of the participants, 42.9% were not aware of their blood pressure level, and 9.1% did not have any knowledge of KCVD symptoms. Factors associated with KCVDs were AoBP (odds ratio (OR) = 1.121, p < 0.001), middle age (OR = 1.012, p = 0.008), employment (OR = 1.034, p < 0.017), and being married and living with a spouse (OR = 1.068, p < 0.001). Lower levels of education (OR = 0.931, p < 0.001) and regular walking (OR = 0.964, p = 0.015) were also associated with KCVDs. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and subjective health status were associated with increased AoBP. (4) Conclusions: AoBP was positively associated with KCVDs. It is necessary to include AoBP in public campaigns and regular policy support to improve KCVDs. In addition, findings in this study can serve as basic data for developing socio-cultural interventions, aimed at mitigating cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, by improving levels of KCVDs.

Gender disparities in the mediating role of symptom knowledge level in reducing acute coronary syndrome (ACS) decision delay: Findings from a community-based study in China

“…Based on this understanding, several intervention studies have been undertaken to reduce decision delay by improving knowledge of these symptoms [ 14 , 15 , 24 – 26 ]. However, despite an improvement in symptom knowledge through training, the efficacy of these interventions in reducing decision delay has been inconsistent [ 25 , 27 , 28 ], leading to uncertainties about the mediating role of symptom knowledge in the association between past ACS exposure and decision delay. The current study adds to the existing literature by demonstrating that participation in training programs, is associated with reduced decision delay via increased knowledge of prodromal symptoms.…”

Noble Gases Therapy in Cardiocerebrovascular Diseases: The Novel Stars?

“…Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of disorders of heart and blood vessels, CVDs include primary hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension, abdominal aortic aneurysm, coronary heart disease (CHD) (especially myocardial ischemia, which is primarily mediated by the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart, coronary artery vasospasm, and coronary microvascular dysfunction) ( 1 – 4 ), congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease (e.g., rheumatic heart disease), myocarditis and inflammatory cardiomyopathy, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and other conditions, ultimately cardiac arrhythmias and/or heart failure; additionally, cerebrovascular diseases (CBVDs), a range of conditions influencing brain and cerebral arteries, e.g., ischemic stroke, also belong to CVDs; therefore, CVDs also refer to as cardiocerebrovascular diseases (CCVDs) ( 5 – 13 ). Heart attack and stroke are the representative diseases of CCVDs ( 14 ). CCVDs are the leading cause of death globally and the statistical data from the WHO indicate that CCVDs take an estimated 17.9 million lives each year ( 15 ).…”