Prevalence and Risks Factors of Prehypertension in Africa: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is one of the major factors for high mortality of adults in Africa. However, complications occur at lower values than those previously classified as hypertension. Thus, prehypertension is considered as a new category of hypertension and a major risk factor for developing clinical hypertension relative to those with normotension, it has been linked with increased future risk of hypertension as well as cardiovascular diseases.Objectives: The objective of this review was to determine prevalence of prehypertension and describe the associated factors of prehypertension in Africa during the past 10 years. Methods:We did a systematic review using the databases PubMed/Medline, and search engine google scholar. We selected sources of publications and conducted an analysis of articles. Keywords in English were: prehypertension, high normal blood pressure, high blood pressure, elevated blood pressure, Africa. Keywords in french were: préhypertension artérielle, préhypertension, pression artérielle normale haute, pression artérielle normale, Afrique.Mesh terms were: Prehypertension, Africa.Results: Twenty-seven articles were selected. Prevalence of prehypertension ranged from 2.5% to 34% in children and adolescents. In adults, prevalence varied from 32.9% to 56.8%. Several factors were associated with prehypertension in Africa. These factors included: age; sex; lifestyle such as smoking, alcohol consumption, low physical activity, overweight and obesity. There were also cardiometabolic factors and few others factors which were associated with prehypertension. Conclusion:This review allowed us to observe that the prevalence of prehypertension was variable according to age of the population and prehypertension is associated with several factors.

Analysis of Hypertension in Peru: Prevalence, Associated Factors, Knowledge, Management and Control, 2014-2022

“…Prehypertension and HBP are often considered precursor stages of HTN, where the same risk factors may contribute to developing a more severe condition. However, the absence of a direct correlation in some cases may be due to variations in genetics, environment, and lifestyle, which influence the early and late stages of hypertension differently (35,36) .…”

“…In terms of similarities, both for prehypertension and HTN, factors like advanced age, overweight/obesity, and T2DM are consistently reported as high risk. However, there is a notable difference in the influence of gender and ethnicity, which may vary between prehypertension and HTN, as indicated by studies conducted in different regions, including Latin America and the United States (33)(34)(35) .…”

Demographic and Socioeconomic Predictors of Prehypertension and Hypertension in the Adult Population: Serbian National Health Survey

“…In addition, epidemiological studies have shown that prehypertension is a common condition worldwide in as many as 30 to 50% of the studied population [9]. Approximately 90% of individuals with prehypertension have at least one cardiovascular risk factor, and 68% have at least one clinically significant risk factor for heart disease or stroke [10].…”

“…Additionally, many people are diagnosed with hypertension accidentally or after serious organ damage due to its asymptomatic nature. The level of awareness, treatment and control of the disease is still low in underdeveloped and developing countries, including our country, and as a result, most people affected by hypertension are unaware of their status [10].…”