Screening for Hypertension and Morbidity Profile of Patients - A Primary Care "High Risk Approach".

ABSTRACT

Background: The world is ageing fast. Increased longevity is not only a triumph for society but a huge challenge for health systems which need to be prepared to address the needs of older people at the community level. Most preventative health care and early disease screening takes place in primary health centres within health systems. These centres play a critical role in the health of older people worldwide at the local level by increasing quality of life. Menace of rising burden of non-communicable diseases can be controlled by developing a model of screening at primary health care level. A study has been planned, to identify one of the major iceberg disease i.e. hypertension which acts as precursor of many other morbidities Methodology: Study was conducted at Rural Health Training Centre, Rajeev Nagar. Sample size included all the patients above 40 years of age attending (for any ailment ) OPD during one year period i.e. 1 January – 31 December 2011. Screening for hypertension was done and morbidity profile along with demographic indicators were also recorded during data entry. Results: Study subjects included females (58.2 %) and males (41.8). About one fourth (22.7 %) of the patient screened were in Pre-Hypertensive category while 12.3 % and 3.6 % were in hypertensive Stage I and II respectively. 38.6 % persons were diagnosed with high blood pressure. Most of the patients with high blood pressure were in age group of 60-69 years, followed by 50-59 years. Higher blood pressure was slightly more among males (39.6 %) as compared to females (37.9%). Locomotor (17.6%), GIT (16.0 %), respiratory (13.5 %) and skin diseases (10.1%) were the principal morbidities. Conclusion: A community based hypertension screening programme targeting older adults above 40 years of age can help in early detection of new cases of 'iceberg diseases' to initiate primary and secondary level prevention. Utilising basic health facility to screen for hypertension suggested here is promising to identify and cater vulnerable population.