Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the Republic of Georgia (vol 13, pg 243, 1999)

Background: Eastern Europe is experiencing an epidemic of deaths from cardiovascular diseases with an increase since the early 1990s approaching 50%. The ability to survey the risk factors associated with this striking rise is severely hampered by the current disarray of the area’s public health system. We used a rapid survey method to describe the epidemiology of cardiovascular risk in the capital of the Republic of Georgia, Tbilisi. Methods: A two-stage cluster design, ‘rapid survey method’ developed by the Chronic Disease Center was used to estimate the frequency of hypertension, a major cardiovascular risk factor. Local personnel were trained and certified in blood pressure measurement and rapid survey techniques.