Correlates of undiagnosed hypertension among health care workers in a secondary health care facility in north central Nigeria

Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, yet many health care workers rarely check their blood pressure. The detection of hypertension among health care workers is key to prevention of hypertension, its attendant complications in the community and a strategy for health care workers retention. Objective: To determine the prevalence and correlates of undiagnosed hypertension among health care workers in a secondary health care facility. Methods: Using a structured questionnaire, sociodemographic variables and risk factors for hypertension were obtained. Measurements of blood pressure, weight, height and waist circumference were carried out and body mass index calculated. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 41.9%. The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was 35.1%. Multivariate analysis showed that age greater than 42 years (OR=0.24; 95%CI: 0.10-0.72) is a significant correlate of undiagnosed hypertension. Those who self-reported that they had been diagnosed to have hypertension were 15.5% of the study population. Among those who had self-reported hypertension, 79.1% were found to have hypertension by the researchers while among those who had no history of hypertension, 35.1% were hypertensive. When a history of hypertension is used as a screening test for the diagnosis of hypertension, it gave a sensitivity of 29.2%, a specificity of 94.4%, a positive predictive value of 79.1%, a negative predictive value of 64.9% and an accuracy of 67.1%. Conclusion: One in three persons had undiagnosed hypertension and those who were over 42 years are at risk for undiagnosed hypertension. This calls for urgent workplace strategies to create more awareness as a prevention and control strategy for the facility and the general population

Prevalence and Clinical Features of Arterial Hypertension in Ruhengeri District Hospital; Musanze; Rwanda

The prevalence of arterial hypertension (AH) varies among countries and within sub-classes of a country. It has been estimated that hypertension accounts for 6 deaths worldwide. Though it is said to be a disease of developed countries; its prevalence is not lower in under-developed countries. Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease that can; if untreated; result in serious morbidity and mortality from cardiac; cerebrovascular; vascular; and renal diseases [1]. Optimal control of diabetes and hypertension is needed to prevent development of heart failure [2]. Rwanda is one of the most densely populated (344 persons/Sq. km; 2006) [3] under-developed countries in Eastern Africa. This study was undertaken to study the prevalence of hypertension and its clinical presentations; comorbidities and prognosis in the department of internal medicine of the Ruhengeri district hospital. It was a retrospective study in which records of hospitalized patients for the period of January to June 2008 were studied. Data of patients were collected and analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 11.5 and Epidata. Total number of patients with hypertension was 57 which were 2.53.Hypertension was more common in women (64.9); than men (35.1). The majority of patients had more than 50 years of age (64.9). The most Common symptom was headache (47.4); followed by dizziness (36.8); palpitations (28.1) and visual disturbances (19.3); epistaxis (5); miscellaneous symptoms like loss of consciousness; tinnitus; e.t.c. (59.6). The majority of patients had severe hypertension (47.4) and patients over 50 years of age had the highest prevalence of severe hypertension (67). Alcohol consumption; diabetes mellitus; congestive heart failure had significant association with hypertension. Among the patients studied; 5.26 died during the period of study. The Study revealed that the hypertension prevalence and severity of its effect were more for the patients above 50 years of age; and women were more affected as compared to men. Headache was the most common symptom among patients with hypertension

La myocardiopathie hypertensive dans le Service de Cardiologie de l'Hopital National du Point G. Bamako: Epidemiologie - Clinique -Evolution

Les auteurs evaluent la myocardiopathie hypertensive a la lumiere des donnees epidemiologiques; cliniques; et evolutives a partir de 800 admissions pour pathologie cardiovasculaire au Service de Cardiologie de l'Hopital du Point G. Du 1er janvier 1989 au 31 decembre 1990

Les complications cardiaques de l'hypertension arterielle chez 392 Noirs Africains

Les auteurs evaluent les complications cardiaques de l'hypertension arterielle a la lumiere des donnees cliniques; electrocardiographiques et radiologiques a partir de 392 admissions pour HTA au service de cardiologie du CHU Ignace Deen de Conakry (R. Guinee) de 1981 a 1988. Trois cent cinquante quatre cas de complications cardiaques (90 pour cent) ont ete colliges. Chez 38 patients (10 pour cent); la maladie n'etait pas compliquee. Les complications cardiaques ont ete diagnostiquees chez 228 hommes (64 pour cent) et 126 femmes (36 pour cent). Le pic de preference est observe a 51-60 ans pour les deux sexes (44 pour cent des cas). La cardiopathie hypertensive avec insuffisance cardiaque decomposee (349 cas) est la forme clinique la plus frequente

A study of the effect of nifedipine in reversing left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients

Using WHO hypertensive criteria; 184 patients with hypertension were chosen (102 male; 82 female); aged 58-78 years old. Other heart diseases were ruled out by physical examination; electrocardiographic examination; chest-ray and echocardiography. All the cases had one or more criteria of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH): Interventricular septal thickness at diastole; left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end diastole and left ventricular mass index. The findings in this study imply that it is good practise to include nifedipine in the treatment regimen of patients whose hypertension is complicated with LVH and (or) ischaemic heart disease