Hypertension Management in Primary Health Care Centres: Blood Pressure Control and Classes of Antihypertensive Medication, Khartoum State, 2018.
The study was a descriptive cross-section, health centre’s based that covered six PHC centres in Khartoum State. The study interviewed all diagnosed Sudanese hypertensive patients more than 18-years of age who attended the selected PHC centres. The research team collected data using a structured questionnaire and measuring the blood pressure (BP) with a mercury sphygmomanometer. The study variables were demographic characteristics and disease features as independent variables and hypertension control as the dependent variable. The statistician analyzed the data using the statistical package for the Social Science version 21.0 and the Chi-square (χ) test to obtain the p value to test the association between the addressed variables. The study group adopt ethical considerations throughout the study.
Globally there are one billion hypertensive patients due to the prevalence of contributing modifiable risk factors. These factors, such as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol use, and hyperlipidemia–which are not yet well-addressed, will lead to an increasing number of patients. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the prevalence of hypertension averages 26% and it affects approximately 125 million individuals.
Hypertension has the highest prevalence among the major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Sudan, represented a quarter of NCDs. Hypertension in Sudan is one of the ten leading diseases treated in outpatients of health facilities and also is one of the ten leading causes of death. Proper management of hypertension has been associated with about a 40% reduction in the
risk of stroke and about a 15% reduction in the risk of myocardial infarction. Thus, by applying standard management of hypertension, we can reduce the major complications that lead to morbidity, disability and mortality.
Public Health Open J. 2021; 6(1): 30-36. doi: 10.17140/PHOJ-6-156
