BackgroundThe prevalence of hypertension is rising worldwide with an estimated one billion people now affected globally and is of near epidemic proportions in many parts of South Asia. Recent turmoil has until recently precluded estimates in Afghanistan so we sought, therefore, to establish both prevalence predictors in our population.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of adults ≥40 years of age in Kabul from December 2011-March 2012 using a multistage sampling method. Additional data on socioeconomic and lifestyle factors were collected as well as an estimate of glycaemic control. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were undertaken to explore the association between hypertension and potential predictors.ResultsA total of 1183 adults (men 396, women 787) of ≥ 40years of age were assessed. The prevalence of hypertension was 46.2% (95% CI 43.5 – 49.3). Independent predictors of hypertension were found to be: age ≥50 (OR = 3.86, 95% CI: 2.86 – 5.21); illiteracy (OR = 1.90, 1.05 – 1.90); the consumption of rice >3 times per week (OR = 1.43, 1.07 – 1.91); family history of diabetes (OR = 2.20, 1.30 – 3.75); central obesity (OR = 1.67, 1.23 – 2.27); BMI ≥ 30 Kg/meter squared (OR = 2.08, 1.50 – 2.89). The consumption of chicken and fruit more than three times per week were protective with ORs respectively of 0.73 (0.55-0.97) and 0.64 (0.47 – 0.86).ConclusionsHypertension is a major public health problem in Afghan adults. We have identified a number of predictors which have potential for guiding interventions.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a growing public health challenge. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of common risk factors for NCDs among the adult population an urban setting in the eastern province of Nangarhar, Afghanistan. In a randomized, cluster sample survey of households the WHO STEPwise method was modified and used to collect demographic, behavioural and clinical data from 1200 adults (61% females) in Jalalabad in 2013. Blood samples were collected for biochemical testing. The prevalence of overweight/obesity, diabetes and hypertension were 57.4%, 11.4% and 24.4% respectively. Among respondents, 8.0% reported being current cigarette smokers and 13.7% used mouth snuff; 69.8% and 19.6% had < 3 servings of fruits and of vegetables respectively in a week; and 33.5% and 57.8% reported vigorous and moderate physical activity respectively. Tailored interventions on risk factors of NCDs are needed in urban areas in Afghanistan. ‫ـة‬ ‫منظمـ‬ ‫ـلوب‬ ‫أسـ‬ ‫ـتخدام‬ ‫باسـ‬ ‫ـة‬ ‫مـ‬

-Background: Afghanistan is suffering from double burden of diseases including communicable and noncommunicable. The aim of this study was determine the risk factors for NCDs among adult's population in Mazar-e-Sharif city, Afghanistan. Methods and Materials: A provincial cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2015 on the prevalence of NCD risk factors using the WHO STEPS adapted instrument. The study enrolled a random sample of 1249 adults of age group of 25-70 years. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Fasting venous blood sample was collected to assess the lipid profile and fasting blood sugar. Anthropometric measurements of the participants were also taken. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Out of all (1231) respondents 664 (53.9%) were females and 567 (46.1%) males with a mean age of 40.5±13.2 years. More than half (59.3%) were illiterates and (83.7%) were married and 72% had income of less than 10000 AFN. 9.9% were smokers and (8.3%) were mouth snuff users. Seventy nine percent of respondents ate fruits and 60% took vegetables 3 days or less per week. Almost 12% practiced vigorous physical activity and 21.8% of subjects reported doing moderate physical activity. Almost half (48.5) of subjects were overweight or obese. 30.9% had high blood pressure and 9.2% percent recorded diabetic. Level of high cholesterol was 33.2%, high triglycerides was 20.4%. Furthermore high level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) was 55% and high level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) was 36.9%. The mean level of triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL were 161.7 mg/dL, 179.2mg/dL, 49.4 mg/dL and 113.4 mg/dL were respectively. Conclusions: The findings of study revealed a high burden of risk factors for NCDs in the study population, showing the country is experiencing both communicable and noncommunicable at the same time. It is recommended and emphasized on focusing of interventions to prevent and control the noncommunicable diseases.