Assessment of the Risk Factors of Hypertension Among Adults in Pakistan

Objective: Toevaluate the distribution of risk factors and determined their association with hypertension in Pakistani population. Study Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted in different hospitals in Punjab and Sindh, Pakistan from Dec 2018 to Jun 2019. Methodology: Data of subjects between the ages of 18-75 were included in the study using non-probability convenience sampling technique. A questionnaire was used to record socio demographic information and risk assessment was done. Weight and blood pressure measurements were also recorded. Bivariate analysis was used for analysis to identify risk factors associated with hypertension. Result: A data of 350 subjects was recorded with a mean age±SD of 43.7±10.5 years. The prevalence of hypertension was recorded to be 26%. Prevalence of current smoking, and passive smoking was 57(16%) and 11(3%) respectively. Gender, smoking, level of education, physical inactivity, were each significantly associated with increased risk for hypertension. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that in Pakistan, increasing age, marital status, level of education, poor dietary habits, smoking, obesity, and other modifiable factors are contributing to the increased risk and prevalence of hypertension.