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Similarto most developed countries, cardiovascular disease (CVD)is a leading cause of mortality in Russia. The levels of CVD mortality in working-age Russian men and women are the highest in Europe and characterised by marked fluctuations. Up to 60% of fatal CVD cases could be explained by the population levels of cardiovascular risk factors. Presently, however, no data are available to demonstrate the varied prevalence of these risk factors inRussia. The information on the actual health status and cardiovascularrisk factor levels in the Russian population could be obtained only in epidemiological studies. Therefore, the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development initiated the study “Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology in Russian Regions”. This study involves 12 Russian regions which differ by their climatic, geographic, economic, and demographic characteristics. This analysis presents the official levels of CVD mortality in respective Russian regions and the associations between mortality and regional per capita income. A marked inter-regional heterogeneity in fatal CVD levels, as well as a significant regional gradient in CVD mortality by income, demonstrates the urgent need for the wide implementation of risk factor monitoring across the Russian regions.

Aim. To assess the dynamics of arterial hypertension (AH) prevalence in the Russian population, patients’ awareness, treatment with antihypertensive agents (AHA), treatment effectiveness, and the determinants of the latter. Material and methods. As a part of the Federal Target Programme “Prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension in the Russian Federation”, four randomly selected population samples from various Russian regions were examined in 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010. Results. In the Russian population, AH prevalence was 39,7%, being higher in women (40,5%) than in men (38,0%). No significant changes in AH prevalence were observed for the analysed period. Patients’ awareness was 81,1% (82,9% in women vs. 77,9% in men). AHA therapy prevalence increased from 62,6 % to 66,1%. The most widely used AHA included ACE inhibitors, diuretics, and beta-adrenoblockers; old medications were taken by 17,7% of the patients only. Conclusion. AH prevalence in the Russian population was 39,7% and did not change over the recent years. However, there was an increase in the percentage of patients taking AHA, as well as in the percentage of women with effectively treated AH. In addition, the treatment with recommended AHA became more prevalent. Ineffective therapy was typically due to lower education level, alcohol abuse, or co-existing risk factors.

The article describes in detail the evidence on validation and classification of existing devices for blood pressure self-control (BPSC). The strengths and limitations of BPSC are discussed, together with modern approaches to research and clinical application of BPSC as independent method or in combination with traditional BP measurement. The current clinical and epidemiologic evidence on BPSC is analysed. Technical and clinical aspects of the method in general and of tonometer use, in particular, are emphasised.

The current status of obesity (O) as a global problem justifies the use of the term “obesity epidemic”, since the prevalence of O has increased substantially, in contrast to the decreasing prevalence of other risk factors (RFs).Aim.This analysis assessed the all-cause (AC) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality levels by body mass index (BMI) in a middleaged Russian population.Material and methods.The present analysis included the data from seven studies performed by the State Research Centre for Preventive Medicine in 1975–2001. The total number of participants was 17821: 12887 men and 4934 women, aged 35–74 years. All participants were examined following the same protocol. The following parameters were analysed: socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism disturbances, and clinical parameters. All participants were divided into seven categories by their BMI values: from BMI Conclusion.The observed tendency of elevated CVD risk in people with O suggests that particular attention should be paid to this risk factor. Adverse effects of O have also been demonstrated for people with arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. For the latter, its prevalence has substantially increased in Russia over the past years.

Aim. To study the prevalence of arterial hypertension (AH) in the population of Kyrgyz small towns and countryside and to analyse ethnic features of AH.Material and methods. This cross-sectional epidemiologic study was performed as a part of the international study INTEREPID. A random sample of small town and countryside residents included 1774 people. The examination included a questionnaire survey, measurement of blood pressure, height, weight, and waist circumference, and laboratory tests. AH prevalence was age-standardised.Results. In Kyrgyz small town and countryside residents aged 18–65 years, the prevalence of AH was 44% (33,2% in men and 46,7% in women). Among Kyrgyz participants, AH prevalence was significantly lower than in their Russian peers (36,8% vs. 46,2%, respectively). This difference was observed in women, while men did not demonstrate any marked ethnic differences in AH prevalence.Conclusion. The results obtained suggest that AH prevalence in the Kyrgyz Republic is high (with a 40–50% increase over the past 20 years) and is characterised by marked gender and ethnic differences. Further research is required to identify whether race/ethnic group could be a risk factor for AH development.