Deaths, disability-adjusted life years and years of life lost due to elevated systolic blood pressure in Poland: estimates for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

Introduction. High systolic blood pressure (SBP) is a well-known risk factor for major adverse cardiovascular outcomes; however, data regarding disease burden due to high SBP in the Polish population are scarce.

Material and methods. We extracted and analyzed the latest country-, gender-, age- and year-specific estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2016 for SBP-related mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and attributable risk factors in Poland in 2016. In the GBD 2016, the term ‘high SBP’ refers to SBP of at least 110−115 mmHg.

Results. High SBP was attributable to (per 100,000) 106,043.16 deaths (95% UI [Uncertainty Interval]: 88,207–121,849) that was 27.22% of all deaths in Poland in 2016; 1,751,844.69 DALYs (95% UI: 1,525,188–1,966,25) and 1,497,959.71 YLLs (95% UI: 1,287,279–1,497,959). In males, DALYs attributable to high SBP were higher by 34% and YLLs by 23%, while in females death rates were higher by 14%. SBP was highly attributable to ischemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease (63.7%, 63,1%, and 59.1%, respectively). In the GBD hierarchy, high SBP was the most common risk factor, followed by smoking, high body mass index (BMI), high total cholesterol levels, alcohol use, and high fasting plasma glucose levels.

Conclusions. In Poland, SBP of at least 110–115 mmHg remains one of the largest risks for loss of good health; greater than smoking, high cholesterol levels, or high BMI. With the population aging globally, the burden due to high SBP is expected to increase further.

Arterial Hypertension 2018; 22 (2): 95–103

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