Parameters Predicting Poor Blood Pressure Control among Male Hypertensives in A Primary Care Setting, Kwara State Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Poor blood pressure control is a global challenge and male hypertensives constitute an important group of patients that should be treated with utmost priority because previous studies have associated male gender with high prevalence of hypertension and poor blood control. Aim: This was to determine the level of blood pressure (BP) control and to find the relationship between the demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters that can predict uncontrolled BP among male hypertensives. Material and Method: This study was a hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional descriptive study done in Family Medicine department of the University of Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The study population was male hypertensives. Interviewers’ questionnaires were used to obtain information and clinical measurements such as BP and body mass index were taken with appropriate instruments. Laboratory measurement including fasting blood glucose and fasting lipid profile were also carried out. Data was collected using the Version 20 software packages of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS-20). Result: About half (48%) of the respondents had control atBP ≤140/90 mmHg, 34.9% at ≤130/80 and only 15.7% had optimum BP control. The diastolic BP control 154(67.2%) was higher than those with systolic BP control 107(46.2%). Multiple regression analysis shows that only increasing age (P value = 0.003) and low level of education (P value = 0.009) can predict the development of uncontrolled hypertension. Conclusion: This study shows that there is poor BP control among male hypertensives and increasing age and low level of education can predict uncontrolled hypertension.