Role of Cardiovascular Technologists in Screening & Risk Profiling of Young Hypertensive at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pune

Abstract

Hypertension is one of the most common lifestyle diseases today, and is a leading public health challenge globally due to its high prevalence and related morbidity and mortality. It is increasingly observed in young patients in the age group of 18 to 40 years and is a cause of concern worldwide. Risk factors like hypertension, smoking, alcoholism, dyslipidemia, obesity and diabetes mellitus magnify the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease and chronic renal failure. This study was done to explore the role of cardiovascular technologists in screening and risk profiling of young hypertensive patients that included identifying the common symptoms at presentation and detecting the risk factors like obesity, alcoholism, smoking, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia in the young hypertensive patients aged between 18 to 40 years at a tertiary care hospital. The cardiac investigations like measurement of blood pressure, performing electrocardiography procedure, conducting stress test and echocardiography including the interpretation of these tests were carried out by the Cardiovascular Technologists and the treatment of patients was managed by physicians and cardiologists. Thus, this paper is an evidence based research on the role of screening & risk profiling of young hypertensive by Cardiovascular Technologists providing relief in workload of the physicians and cardiologists and sparing them for more complicated cases.