Abstract
Introduction
Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide, affecting more than 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women. The burden of hypertension is felt disproportionately in low- and middle-income countries, where two-thirds of cases are found, largely due to increased risk factors in those populations in recent decades. Our objective was to assess the prevalence, epidemiological and clinical aspects, and associated factors of high blood pressure (BP) among patients aged more than 18 years.
Methods
This study used a cross-sectional design and examined the existing medical records of patients admitted to the Cardio-Geriatric Center of Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital (KSFH) in 2018. In total, 385 patients were selected via systematic random sampling from 1515 patients admitted to Cardio-Geriatric Center, KSFH during one year of 2018. We used descriptive analysis to calculate the frequency and proportion of patients with different sociodemographic characteristics and the prevalence of hypertension. Bivariate analysis was used to determine factors associated with hypertension.
Results
Among the 385 patients, the mean age was 65.1 years (SD = 13.0). More than 88% (341/385) of the patients were aged ? 50 years, and 67.0% were unemployed. Among the total patients, female patients (52.3%) were much more common than male patients (47.7%), with 53.5% being from Phnom Penh. Among the admitted patients, 57.7% (222/384) were diagnosed with hypertension. Among patients with hypertension, 29.0% met the criteria of high BP grade 1, grade 2 (14%) and grade 2 (15%). Among hypertensive patients, dyspnea (shortness of breath) was the chief complaint (55.2%), followed by headache (11.1%), tiredness, and chest pain. Commonly, the health outcomes of hypertensive patients at discharge were arterial hypertension (45.3%), acute pulmonary edema (23.2%), and stroke (11.4%). Patients older than 64 years were more likely to have high BP. Additionally, female patients were significantly more likely to have lower proportion of hypertension than male patients.
Conclusion
This study revealed a high prevalence of hypertension in patients hospitalized at the Cardio-Geriatric Center, KSFH. Dyspnea, headache, and tiredness are the common signs among those with hypertension. The common factor associated with hypertension was older age ? 64 years. It is advisable for people aged ? 50 years to undergo regular medical screening for hypertension in ce it could increase the risk of serious problems such as heart attack and stroke; and it may not have noticeable symptoms.