[What has the reform of primary care meant in the community approach to arterial hypertension?].

Objective: To evaluate an arterial Hypertension programme (AHP), with analysis of its feasibility and the problems inherent in the methodology used.
Design: A retrospective evaluation of the results of an AHP programme. A population projection of the results by means of an extrapolated calculation.
Setting: An urban Health Centre.
Patients: A random sample of 282 patients selected from the total of 564 individuals diagnosed with AHT over the 6 years of the programme's operation.
Measurements and Main Results: The 564 patients in the records made up 16.5% of the Health Area's adult population. The iceberg phenomenon (the percentage of undiagnosed hypertension sufferers) has evolved from 59% in 1988 to the present 17%. 7.4% of the sample received no treatment. Average AHT figures for the patients in treatment were 143 +/- 15 mm Hg systolic pressure and 85 +/- 9 mm Hg diastolic. 75% had adequate control of their tension figures (< 160/95). The population projection of these findings indicated that 57% of Hypertension sufferers calculated to be living in the Health area were diagnosed and monitored.
Conclusions: The results show that the AHT situation among the population has substantially improved. The methodology used is easy to manage and can be of service in the evaluation of the impact of AHT programmes on the population.