PatenT data indicate that hypertension is a highly prevalent but inadequately managed health problem in Turkey. There is an urgent need for population-based strategies to improve the prevention, early detection and control of hypertension.

We aimed to evaluate the patients who were diagnosed as Henoch Schonlein purpura (HSP) for disease characteristics and prognosis of those with joint, gastrointestinal (GI), and renal involvement. Two hundred and fifty-four children who were followed up with the diagnosis of HSP in the Pediatric Nephrology Clinics of Meram Medical Faculty of Selcuk University and Medical Faculty of Gazi University between January 2003 and June 2006 were retrospectively evaluated. The clinical follow-up and treatment regimens of patients in whom renal biopsy was performed were evaluated in detail. The study group consisted of 254 children, 147 boys (57.8%) and 107 girls (42.2%), and the ratio of boys to girls was 1.37. The percentages of skin, joint, GI, and renal manifestations were 100%, 66%, 56%, and 30%, respectively. Eight patients had intussusception. Five of them recovered with steroid treatment only while three patients were operated on. Sixty-four patients (44%) with GI involvement had severe disease and were successfully treated with steroids. Renal biopsy was performed in 26 patients. Among those 26 patients, two of them recovered spontaneously within 3 and 4 weeks. Ten patients improved with only steroid treatment while 12 patients recovered with steroid and cyclophosphamide treatment. Two patients were resistant to steroid and cyclophosphamide treatment and were treated with cyclosporine A. We believe that steroid therapy given to the HSP patients with GI manifestations might be helpful to prevent probable complications such as GI bleeding and intussusception. In addition, combined therapy with steroid and cyclophosphamide can usually be an appropriate treatment for patients with nephrotic proteinuria.

This population-based epidemiological study was aimed to evaluate the daily salt intake and its relation to blood pressure in a representative group of Turkish population. The enrolled normotensive and hypertensive individuals (n = 1970) completed a questionnaire including demographics, dietary habits, hypertension awareness and drug usage. Blood pressure was measured and to estimate salt consumption, 24-h urine samples were collected. The daily urinary sodium excretion was 308.3 ± 143.1 mmol/day, equal to a salt intake of 18.01 g/day. Salt intake was higher in obese participants, rural residents, participants with lower education levels and elderly. A positive linear correlation between salt intake and systolic and diastolic blood pressures was demonstrated (r = 0.450, p = 0.020; r = 0.406, p = 0.041; respectively), and each 100 mmol/day of salt intake resulted in 5.8 and 3.8 mmHg increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively. Salt intake and systolic blood pressure was significantly correlated in normal weight individuals (r = 0.257, p < 0.01). The Turkish population consumes a great amount of salt; salt intake and blood pressure was positively correlated. Efforts in sodium restriction are therefore crucial in the management of hypertension as part of national and global health policies.

Objectives:The study aimed to assess the current epidemiology of hypertension, including its prevalence, the awareness of the condition and its treatment and control, in Turkey to evaluate changes in these factors over the last 10 years by comparing the results with the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Turkey (PatenT) study data (2003), as well as to assess parameters affecting awareness and the control of hypertension.Methods:The PatenT 2 study was conducted on a representative sample of the Turkish adult population (n = 5437) in 2012. Specifically trained staff performed the data collection. Hypertension was defined as mean SBP or DBP at least 140/90 mmHg, previously diagnosed disease or the use of antihypertensive medication. Awareness and treatment were assessed by self-reporting, and control was defined as SBP/DBP less than 140/90 mmHg.Results:Although the prevalence of hypertension in the PatenT and PatenT 2 surveys was stable at approximately 30%, hypertension awareness, treatment, and control rates have improved in Turkey. Overall, 54.7% of hypertensive patients were aware of their diagnosis in 2012 compared with 40.7% in 2003. The hypertension treatment rate increased from 31.1% in 2003 to 47.4% in 2012, and the control rate in hypertensives increased from 8.1% in 2003 to 28.7% in 2012. The rate of hypertension control in treated patients improved between 2003 (20.7%) and 2012 (53.9%). Awareness of hypertension was positively associated with older age, being a woman, residing in an urban area, a history of parental hypertension, being a nonsmoker, admittance by a physician, presence of diabetes mellitus, and being obese or overweight; it was inversely associated with a higher amount of daily bread consumption. Factors associated with better control of hypertension were younger age, female sex, residing in an urban area, and higher education level in Turkey.Conclusion:Although some progress has been made in recognizing hypertension from 2003 to 2012, there is still a large population of untreated or inadequately treated hypertensives in Turkey. Strengthening of population-based efforts to improve the prevention, early detection, and treatment of hypertension is needed.