Pattern of Blood Pressure Indices among the Residents of a Rural Community in South East Nigeria.

B J C Onwubere,E C Ejim,A Emehel,U Onyia,S Mendis,A U Mbah,C I Okafor

doi:10.4061/2011/621074

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main causes of death in industrialized countries, and are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease in Nigerians, and the risk of CVD associated with hypertension is independent of other risk factors. Despite the high level of awareness of its presence in the developed countries, the level of control is still poor. CVDs tend to be commoner in urban settlements, and it has been hypothesized that rural sub-Saharan Africa is at an early stage of epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases (NCD) because of the gradual adoption of unhealthy lifestyles. This study aimed at describing the pattern of blood pressure indices among the hypertensive residents of a rural community in South East Nigeria. A total of 858 individuals comprising 247 males and 611 females took part in the study. 46.4% of the subjects had hypertension. Hypertension was commoner in the males (50.2% vs. 44.8%) (χ 2(1) = 1.484; P = 0.223). The males were significantly older and heavier than the females while the females had higher mean values of BMI and WC. The prevalence of hypertension is becoming alarmingly high in the rural communities of sub-Saharan Africa.

Highlights

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death in industrialized countries and is increasingly recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria [1, 2]
The risk of CVD associated with hypertension is independent of other risk factors [4]
Part of the worrisome issues surrounding these CVDs is that of poor control in over two-thirds of the individuals affected by these conditions despite the high level of awareness of their presence in the developed countries [5]

Summary

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death in industrialized countries and is increasingly recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria [1, 2]. Part of the worrisome issues surrounding these CVDs is that of poor control in over two-thirds of the individuals affected by these conditions despite the high level of awareness of their presence in the developed countries [5] This high burden of poor control definitely contributes to the mortality pattern seen globally. These diseases tend to be more common in urban settlements, and it has been hypothesized that rural sub-Saharan Africa is at an early stage of epidemiological transition from communicable to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) because of the gradual adoption of unhealthy lifestyles [6, 7]. These lifestyles characterized by increasing intake of high calorie-dense foods and physical inactivity result in obesity [8,9,10]

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Discussion

Conclusion