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23 PREVALENCE AND DETERMINATS OF HYPERTENSION IN ABIA STATE NIGERIA: INSIGHT FROM THE ABIA STATE NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS SURVEY

Background objectives: Hypertension is the commonest risk factor for heart failure, stroke, chronic kidney disease and ischemic heart disease. Few population based studies have been carried out in the country in recent time necessitating this study. Design and Methods: The study was a community based cross-sectional house-to-house survey aimed at ascertaining the burden/prevalence of hypertension in the state as well as identifying related risk factors associated with them. Participations in the study were randomly selected from the three senatorial zones in the state using multistage cluster sampling method. Blood pressure measurement and definition of hypertension were based on international guideline. Results: A total of 2, 999 respondents were selected for the survey, however 2, 983 consented to be interviewed giving a response rate of 99.5%. There were 1430 men (47.9%); the mean age of the population was 41.7 ± 18.5 years (range 18 –96 years). One thousand four hundred and thirty (47.9%) were men. Ninety percent had at least primary education. Thirty one percent of all the subjects had systolic hypertension (33.5% in men and 30.5% in women) On the other hand, diastolic hypertension was 22.5% in all the population (23.4% in men and 25.4% in women. Age, gender and indices of obesity were the predictors of blood pressure. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension is high in our population both in rural and urban settings. Isolated systolic hypertension is commoner and may be responsible for the reported high morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension in Nigeria