Prevalence of Uncontrolled Hypertension in a Primary Care Setting
Introduction
Uncontrolled Hypertension is described as blood pressure levels above
140/90 mmHg in general, and 130/80 mmHg in patients with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and
chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Objectives
To assess the prevalence of Uncontrolled Hypertension and the level of
adherence to antihypertensive drugs; and to identify other associated factors among
patients in a primary care setting in Guyana
Method
A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to August 2023 amongst 158
eligible participants at the Industry Health Centre using a validated questionnaire. The
medical charts were also reviewed. The SPSS was used to analyze the data and Pearson’s
chi-square test was applied. The IRB of Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the
Ministry of Health approved and informed consent was acquired before conducting
research activities.
Results
Out of 158 participants, 57% of the population had controlled Hypertension, and
43% had uncontrolled Hypertension. The adherence to medications was 79%, and
nonadherence was 21%. Employment status was the only factor significantly related to the
prevalence of uncontrolled Hypertension (p-value = 0.016), despite some differences
observed regarding other factors such as being married, prolonged use and multiple
therapies, Hypertension diagnosed for less than five years, and comorbidities. Current
smokers and current consumption of alcohol had a higher prevalence of uncontrolled
Hypertension with 66.7% and 54.0 % respectively.
Recommendations
Early detection of risk factors and modification of modifiable risk
factors is necessary. Combination drugs at public pharmacies should be available to
decrease the polypharmacy burden. Future research should be done on the mental aspect
in persons with long-standing Hypertension and prolonged use of medications.
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