Analysis of Cardiovascular High-Risk Profile in Middle-Aged Lithuanian Men with Arterial Hypertension from 2009 to 2019

<b>Objective</b>: The prevalence of arterial hypertension in adult men is 34% worldwide and 52% in Lithuania. This paper aims to provide an overview of the prevalence trends of arterial hypertension and its clinical forms in middle-aged Lithuanian men and to assess the risk profiles of the different groups. <b>Methods</b>: This retrospective research study collected data from 52,012 Lithuanian male patients. The study population consisted of men aged 40–55 who participated in the Lithuanian High Cardiovascular Risk Program between 2009 and 2019. <b>Results</b>: Of the 52,012 participants, 47.2% (<i>n</i> = 24,531) were men with arterial hypertension. The prevalence of arterial hypertension in Lithuanian men decreased between 2009 and 2019 (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Before the study visit, 12.6% (<i>n</i> = 6583) of men were unaware of their diagnosis, and 8.8% (<i>n</i> = 4555) of diagnosed cases were untreated. In addition, 2.6% (<i>n</i> = 1334) of the men had resistant arterial hypertension. Significant differences in most general characteristics were found between the groups with arterial hypertension. Waist circumference increased from 92.8 ± 10.7 cm in men without arterial hypertension to 109 ± 13.3 cm and in men with resistant arterial hypertension (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and mean triglyceride levels increased from 1.55 ± 1.22 mmol/L to 2.32 ± 1.82 mmol/L in these groups (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Obesity (63.6%), unhealthy diet (74.7%), physical inactivity (62.9%), and diabetes (25.2%) were more common in the group with resistant arterial hypertension than in all other groups (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Meanwhile, dyslipidaemia was the most common risk factor in all groups (from 83.2% in men without arterial hypertension to 92.6% in men with resistant hypertension). <b>Conclusions</b>: Almost half of middle-aged men had arterial hypertension, with prevalence decreasing from 2009 to 2019. Significant changes in cardiometabolic characteristics were observed in newly diagnosed cases of arterial hypertension. These changes are even more notable in men with resistant hypertension compared to a non-resistant form. Most cardiovascular risk factors were most prevalent in over 50% of resistant hypertension cases, with dyslipidaemia being the most common risk factor in the entire male sample.