{ "abstract": "Background: Blood pressure(BP) control remains suboptimal worldwide. Sex-related disparities in hypertension have been reported, but data from South Asia are limited. Understanding the epidemiology and sex-related differences is essential to improve BP control. Objectives: To assess the prevalence, associations and sex-related disparities of hypertension among Sri Lankans. Methods: We analysed secondary data from the Sri Lanka STEPS Survey 2021, a nationally representative, community-based, cross-sectional study. Hypertension was defined as BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg or current antihypertensive use; controlled BP as BP < 140/90 mmHg. Prevalences, associations, and sex-related disparities in hypertension, undiagnosed hypertension, and BP control were assessed using logistic regression. Results: Data from 4,634 adults(mean age 43.5(weighted CI 43.0–44.1) years; female 54.8 (53.1–56.5)%) were analysed. Overall, 37.2(35.5–38.9)% had hypertension, of whom 60.0(58.1–63.4) % were previously undiagnosed. Among those previously diagnosed, 73.6 (73.6, 69.6–77.2)% were on treatment, but only 38.0(33.0–44.20)% achieved BP targets. The rates of hypertension prevalence (p = 0.600), treated hypertension (p = 0.398), and controlled blood pressure (p = 0.819) in females and males did not differ significantly by sex. However, undiagnosed hypertension was significantly higher in males (69.4%, 65.3–73.1) than in females (53.6%, 50.1–57.0) (p < 0.001). Differences in the associations of hypertension by sex were noted; diabetes was associated only in females (p < 0.001), while wealth quintile (p < 0.001) and 24-hour urinary salt excretion (p = 0.011) were associated only in males. Overweight/obesity was shown to have a significant association with undiagnosed hypertension only in males (p = 0.017) in stratified analyses. Conclusions: More than half of the hypertensives in this South Asian population were previously undiagnosed. Of hypertensives, ¾ were treated, but only 1/3 achieved treatment goals. Prevalence, treatment and control rates of hypertension were not different between females and males, but undiagnosed hypertension was more common in men. Therefore, the emphasis should be on improving the detection of hypertension, especially in men, and on treating to targets in both sexes.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Colombo, Sri Lanka.", "NCD Directorate, Ministry of Health, Colombo, Sri Lanka." ], "article_type": "Research Article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 7, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Chamila Mettananda", "orcid": "0000-0002-3328-1553" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Ravini Premaratna" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Randula Mallawa" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Upeksha Fernando" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Arundika Senaratne" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Udara Perera" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Champika Wickramasinghe" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b1k07dz14stc7.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361894", "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13726983", "id": "b1k07dz14stc7", "issns": [ "1932-6203" ], "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361894", "language": "eng", "licence": "CC-BY", "licence_label": "CC BY", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "heading", "Asia" ], [ "heading", "Biology and Life Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Blood Pressure" ], [ "heading", "Cardiology" ], [ "heading", "Cardiovascular Disease Risk" ], [ "heading", "Cardiovascular Diseases" ], [ "heading", "Cardiovascular Medicine" ], [ "heading", "Clinical Medicine" ], [ "heading", "Diabetes Mellitus" ], [ "heading", "Endocrine Disorders" ], [ "heading", "Endocrinology" ], [ "heading", "Excretion" ], [ "heading", "Geographical locations" ], [ "heading", "Hyperlipidemia" ], [ "heading", "Hypertension" ], [ "heading", "Medical Conditions" ], [ "heading", "Medicine and Health Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Metabolic Disorders" ], [ "heading", "People and places" ], [ "heading", "Physiological Processes" ], [ "heading", "Physiology" ], [ "heading", "Research Article" ], [ "heading", "Secondary Hypertension" ], [ "heading", "Signs and Symptoms" ], [ "heading", "Sri Lanka" ], [ "heading", "Vascular Medicine" ], [ "openalex", "2705|Blood Pressure and Hypertension Studies" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Physiology/Physiological processes/Excretion" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Cardiology/Cardiovascular medicine/Cardiovascular diseases" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Cardiology/Cardiovascular medicine/Cardiovascular diseases/Cardiovascular disease risk" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Clinical medicine/Signs and symptoms/Hyperlipidemia" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Endocrinology/Endocrine disorders/Diabetes mellitus" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Cardiovascular diseases" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Cardiovascular diseases/Cardiovascular disease risk" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Metabolic disorders/Diabetes mellitus" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Vascular medicine/Blood pressure" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Vascular medicine/Blood pressure/Hypertension" ], [ "plos", "/People and places/Geographical locations/Asia/Sri Lanka" ] ], "openalex": "W7225096297", "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13726983?pdf=render", "pmcid": "PMC13726983", "pmid": "42970550", "published": "2026-11-02", "publisher": "Public Library of Science", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b1k07dz14stc7.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-11-03T12:20:15Z", "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361894", "source": "plos", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361894" }, { "first_seen": "2026-11-04T15:20:43Z", "native_id": "MED:42970550", "source": "europepmc", "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42970550" }, { "first_seen": "2026-11-05T12:23:12Z", "native_id": "PMC13726983", "source": "pmc", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361894" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "heading:Biology and Life Sciences", "subfield": "general" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:cardiovascular diseases", "subfield": "cardiovascular" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:endocrinology", "subfield": "endocrinology-metabolism" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "heading:Physiology", "subfield": "physiology" } ], "title": "Prevalence, associations and sex-related disparities of hypertension in South Asians: Evidence from a national survey of Sri Lanka", "title_text": "Prevalence, associations and sex-related disparities of hypertension in South Asians: Evidence from a national survey of Sri Lanka", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-11-06T12:22:48Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b1k07dz14stc7", "venue": "PLOS One", "versions": [] }