Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of self-reported arterial hypertension in the adult population in the Brazilian state capitals and Federal District in 2011, and analyze the trend from 2006 to 2011. METHODS: A time series study was conducted with data from the monitoring system by telephone survey (Vigitel) in the period between 2006 and 2011. Approximately 54,000 individuals were assessed per year in the locations studied. A polynomial regression model was used for trend analysis according to gender, age, education and region of the country. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension was 22.7% in 2011, higher in women (25.4%; 95%CI 24.2 - 26.5) than in men (19.5%; 95%CI 18.4 - 20.7). In the period between 2006 and 2011, the lower frequency of hypertension was observed in 2006 (21.5%), and the higher in 2009 (24.4%), with no statistically significant difference in the period. CONCLUSION: There was no significant sex-specific trend, maintaining the higher frequency among women. The prevalence of hypertension increased progressively with age and was higher among adults with lower education (0 - 8 years of study). The South was the only region that showed a statistically significant increasing trend for the years between 2006 and 2011 (15% per year).