Prevalence and related risk factors of Essential Hypertension in Damascus, Syria

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. There are very few studies dealing with the incidence of hypertension and changes in blood pressure (BP) over time. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of hypertension within an adult population in Damascus Syria.

Methods: The sample included 905, of which 245 men and 660 women aged 20 to 80 years at baseline, 214 subjects completed follow-up1 years. BP was measured according to a standardized protocol with oscillometric devices and hypertension was defined as mean systolic BP (SBP) ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP (DBP) ≥90 mmHg and/or use of antihypertensive medication if hypertension was known. We examined prevalence and incidence of hypertension, by age, sex, Socio-demographic characteristic, risk factors for hypertension like obesity and high levels of LDL cholesterol. .

Results:In this study, the prevalence of essential hypertension was 23.6% among participants with a higher prevalence among males, 63.6% for males compared with 36.4% for females, with a higher prevalence among retirees and widows. Persons with large families, those with low education (level of education of less than primary school), as well as in smokers and persons with a family history of essential hypertension and other heart diseases, where an important correlation was observed in the family of positive history of essential hypertension with predictive value less than 0.021 as well as obesity, which was significantly associated with essential hypertension with less predictive value From 0.005.
Conclusion: Essential hypertension was found to be a very important health problem in Damascus. The factors associated with high arterial tension were male sex, obesity, positive family history of essential, age and low education.

The study highlighted the need for more studies to detect essential hypertension and other associated risk factors, and encouraged public health professionals to work more for the diagnosis and controlling this disease and to make more active preventive programs