Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease-related morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, treatment rate and control rate of hypertension among Chinese adults from 2019 to the present through a meta-analysis, providing evidence for the development of strategies and measures for hypertension prevention and control at the national level. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP to identify cross-sectional studies published from 2019 onwards that reported the prevalence, treatment rate and control rate of hypertension among Chinese adults aged ≥ 18 years. Study quality was assessed using a measurement tool developed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 18.0. Pooled prevalence, treatment, and control rates were calculated via random-effects models, with meta-regression analysis and subgroup analyses conducted to assess heterogeneity. RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies involving 465,805 participants were included. The pooled age-standardized rates (2016-2022) were as follows: hypertension prevalence, 33.1% (95% CI: 29.3%, 37.0%); treatment rate, 32.8% (95% CI: 28.9%, 36.7%); and control rate, 14.9% (95% CI: 11.1%, 18.7%). Geographically, prevalence was highest in Northeast China (47.3%) and lowest in the West (33.3%), while the control rate showed an inverse pattern (West: 19.6%; Northeast: 12.6%) (both p < 0.001). Compared with rural residents, urban residents had a higher treatment rate (49.2% vs. 38.1%, p = 0.008). All three rates increased with age, reaching 59.4%, 42.9%, and 16.8% for prevalence, treatment, and control rates, respectively, in adults aged ≥ 60 years. Men had a higher prevalence than women (39.5% vs. 33.7%, p = 0.038), whereas women had a higher treatment rate (47.4% vs. 41.1%, p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Hypertension remains a major public health challenge in China. It is essential not only to improve hypertension prevention strategies but also to optimize hypertension control measures while accounting for regional variations and age-related differences.