Factors associated with blood pressure control among patients attending the outpatient clinic of a South African district hospital

Abstract

Objective To determine the prevalence and factors associated with blood pressure (BP) control. Methods In a cross-sectional study involving 251 consecutively-sampled patients, a semi-structured questionnaire collected information on socio-demography, co-morbidities, hypertension treatments and BP control. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results Most participants were: on treatment for >5 years (60.6%); on three or more drugs (93.6%); treated according to guidelines (77%); and reported not missing medications in the last week (86.5%). BP control was achieved in only 31.5% and 16.7% of participants at the current and last visits, respectively. In multivariate regression analysis, a history of myocardial infarction (odd ratio [OR] = 0.41; P = 0.04) and being divorced/widowed (OR = 3.1; P = 0.01) predicted poor BP control. Conclusion This study confirms the prevalent sub-optimal control of BP and suggests the need for further studies to examine the relationship between marital support, critical medical events and BP control.

Blood pressure control and burden of treatment in South African primary healthcare: A cross-sectional study

“…The finding of prevalent suboptimal hypertension control in this study reiterates those of previous studies in South Africa and elsewhere, 4,5 and highlights the need to develop a scalable and sustainable intervention plan that targets factors that have been associated with poor BP control, including poor lifestyle behaviours (smoking, diet, alcohol, obesity, etc. ), weak social support network and high BOT as responsible factors.…”

“…3,4 Despite the availability of pharmacological treatments and access to health facilities, blood pressure (BP) control rates remain low globally and in South Africa only 24.5% -57.0% of patients with hypertension are reportedly controlled. 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 The reasons for poor BP control in sub-Saharan Africa are poorly understood and involve multiple, complex and varying factors depending on setting. 7 This often includes a high burden of treatment (BOT).…”

Serum Creatine Kinase-MB Isoenzyme Activity among Subjects with Uncomplicated Essential Hypertension: Any Sex Differences

“…Unfortunately, little or no attention has been paid to laboratory assessment of hypertensive subjects and most of the required biomarkers of disease severity and progression are not routinely available in most health facilities in Nigeria. Studies of organ damage in subjects with hypertension showed that hypertensive heart disease, nephropathy, retinopathy, stroke, and ischemic heart disease are common even at the first contact in health care facilities [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

Hypertension control and care at Mulago Hospital ambulatory clinic, Kampala-Uganda

“…However there have not been many studies that have evaluated clinic blood pressure control [16]. The utility of studying clinic based control lies in having the opportunity to work up patients for secondary causes and plan interventions.…”