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RENAL DATA FROM THE ASIA - AFRICA |
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| Year : 2009 | Volume
: 20
| Issue : 4 | Page : 685-689 |
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| The prevalence, risk factors and awareness of hypertension in an urban population of Kerala (South India) |
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Avadaiammal Vimala1, Suja Ann Ranji1, Mattummal Thodi Jyosna1, Vincy Chandran1, Swetha Reba Mathews1, Joseph M Pappachan2
1 Department of Nephrology, Trivandrum Medical College, Kerala, India
2 Department of Medicine, Kottayam Medical College, Kerala, India
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| Date of Web Publication | 8-Jul-2009 |
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 Abstract | | |
To determine the prevalence and possible risk factors for hypertension and prehypertensive state in Trivandrum City of Kerala (South India) using Joint National Committee (JNC) VII criteria, a team of trained fourth year medical students conducted a 10% random household survey in certain wards of the City. Households were selected using a random start and interval and all the members above the age of 10 years were interviewed using a standard questionnaire. The blood pressure (BP) was measured twice in each participant and the mean value of the two measurements was taken. A total of 482 individuals (212 males and 270 females) were interviewed in the survey. Overall prevalence of hypertension was 47% (n = 226) with equal sex ratio; 109 (21.6%) had stage-I hypertension, 45 (9.34%) had stage-II hypertension and 72 were taking drug treatment. Only 55 (11.4%) individuals had normal BP, while 201 (41.7%) were prehypertensives. Only 81 (16.8%) hypertensive patients were aware of their disease. Among the parameters such as dietary habits, physical activity, educational standards, salt intake, and diabetes mellitus, only high salt diet (P= 0.03) and diabetes mellitus (P= 0.004) had a significant association with hypertensive state. In conclusion, the prevalence of hypertension is high but the awareness is low in our community, and intervention is necessary to impose control measures and to improve awareness.
How to cite this article:
Vimala A, Ranji SA, Jyosna MT, Chandran V, Mathews SR, Pappachan JM. The prevalence, risk factors and awareness of hypertension in an urban population of Kerala (South India). Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl 2009;20:685-9 |
How to cite this URL:
Vimala A, Ranji SA, Jyosna MT, Chandran V, Mathews SR, Pappachan JM. The prevalence, risk factors and awareness of hypertension in an urban population of Kerala (South India). Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl [serial online] 2009 [cited 2021 Jan 16];20:685-9. Available from: https://www.sjkdt.org/text.asp?2009/20/4/685/53306 |
| Introduction | |  |
Hypertension poses a significant risk for the development of heart disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD). As heart disease, CKD is also emerging as an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, the major causes for CKD are diabetes mellitus and hypertension. [1],[2],[3] In a country such as India where the per capita income is low, only 1% of the population can afford renal replacement therapy. The global response to this challenge is prevention, early detection, and treatment.
A previous study conducted among the middleaged population of Kerala showed 54.5% prevalence of hypertension. [4] Another study, which compared the prevalence of hypertension in urban cities, 30.7% prevalence (the highest) was noted in Trivandrum city of Kerala. [5] In Tamilnadu, a domiciliary program that goes to the villagers in their houses, has been found to be beneficial to prevent CKD. [6]
We aim in this study to determine the prevalence and awareness of hypertension and possible factors that influence outcome of hypertension.
| Patients and Methods | | |
The study was conducted by a household survey that was carried out in certain selected wards of Trivandrum City (1.5 million population), Kerala, South India. The selection of the wards was based on the records of the Census 2001. It covered 2000 households with a population of approximately 7000 inhabitants. A 10% random sample of households was chosen for the survey by visiting every fifth house in the locality. If the inhabitants were not at home at the time of visit, the next fifth house was visited. A team of four fourth year medical students of Trivandrum Medical College who were trained to measure blood pressure visited the selected households. All the available members in the houses at the time of survey above the age of 10 years were interviewed using a detailed questionnaire, either directly or through an informant, the head of the family.
The detailed questionnaire contained age, sex, educational standards, occupation, dietary habits, amount of salt taken, details of associated illnesses, awareness of hypertension, and details of treatment of hypertension when applicable. BP was measured in the sitting position, after a resting period of 5 minutes, using a calibrated mercury sphygmomanometer. The fifth Korotkoff sound was used to determine diastolic BP. Two other BP measurements were done on each participant within 30 minutes and the mean value of the recorded BP was considered as the BP of the participant.
The survey was completed in a period of five days (morning to evening) in May 2006. A brief discussion on the importance of regular BP check up, the risk factors for the development of high blood pressure and the complications related to hypertension was done with each household by the team of medical students who conducted the survey.
| Statistical Methods | | |
Univariate analysis was used to determine the statistical significance of various observations. For analysis of the data obtained, BP was graded according to the JNC - VII criteria. The subjects were considered aware of their disease if they knew the need for measuring BP regularly, the necessity of lifestyle modifications to prevent progression to stage-I and II if prehypertensive, the need for treatment in stage-I and stage-II hypertension, and the possibility of developing complications such as CKD and heart disease if hypertension is not adequately controlled. The amount of salt-intake was quantified and the participants were stratified into 3 categories: low salt-intake group (those who do not add salt to their food while cooking and while eating food), moderate salt-intake group (add salt to food only while cooking) and high salt-intake group (add salt to food while cooking and while eating). For evaluation of educational status, we compared two groups: schooling up to tenth standard and above tenth standard. Finally, we defined groups for physical activity that included sedentary lifestyle - only routine office work; moderate physical activity - homemakers, and or daily physical exercise, and heavy work - students, manual laborers and professionals who are active outdoor.
| Results | | |
A total of 482 individuals were interviewed and screened; 212 (44%) males and 270 (56%) females. Overall prevalence of hypertension was 47% (n = 226) with almost similar sex distribution (males 46% and females 48%); 109 (21.6%) had stage-I hypertension, 45 (9.34%) had stage II hypertension and 72 were taking drug treatment. Only 55 (11.4%) individuals had normal BP, while 201 (41.7%) were prehypertensives.
Prevalence of hypertension was 24% among subjects at age less than 30 years with male preponderance. However, there was 56% and 42% prevalence of prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals, respectively, at age from 30 to 49 years with equal sex distribution, while prevalence of hypertension was 70% among those equal to or older than 50 years with female preponderance. The demographic characteristics of the study subjects are shown in [Table 1].
The prevalence of hypertension was less among educated persons (both men and women) as compared to less educated persons even, but the difference was not statistically significant. While 42% of males and 30% of females among the participants in the survey consumed vegetarian diet, the prevalence of hypertension was not statistically significantly different among subjects on vegetarian diet vs. mixed diet: 41% vs. 49%, respectively; P= 0.09. However, the subjects who consumed a high-salt diet had higher prevalence of hypertension as shown in [Table 2].
Of the 73 patients who had diabetes mellitus, 71 (97%) had hypertension and diabetics had higher risk to have coexistent hypertension as shown in [Table 3]
All the 81 previously diagnosed hypertensive study patients were confirmed to have hypertension and 72 of them were on drug treatment, but their blood pressures were inadequately controlled. Out of the 401 persons not aware of any problem, 201 (50%) were prehypertensive and were not aware of the need for periodic checkup and life style modification. Of the 154 subjects with newly detected hypertension 144 (93%) were not aware of the problem; however, awareness increased with age.
The influence of age on the prevalence of hypertension and the prehypertensive state was analyzed statistically and is shown in the [Table 4].
| Discussion | | |
Our observations are similar to the earlier study done in Trivandrum, [4] where 54.5% of the middle aged people were hypertensive according to the JNC VI criteria. The prevalence of hypertension found in our study was 47%. High prevalence of hypertension in Trivandrum City has also been reported in 1998 by Singh RB et al. [5]
This is the first community-based survey for evaluation of the prevalence of hypertension in an urban area. The overall prevalence of prehypertensive state in this study seems to be similar to the prevalence reported from North India. [7] This may suggest that if subjects in the prehypertensive groups were identified and the lifestyles modified, the onset of hypertension could be delayed or prevented as shown by several investigators. [8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13]
In our study, 33% of the hypertensive individuals were unaware of their condition. The awareness was low among the young, but increased with older age. The popular belief that hypertension and diabetes mellitus are diseases of the elderly may be the reason for the low level of awareness among the youth. Improving awareness in the community is an important population-based strategy for prevention of complications of these diseases. [14]
None among the prehypertensive group was aware of predisposition to hypertension and requirement of life style and dietary modifications and blood pressure check-up at least annually. Vegetarian diet showed a trend towards a protective effect on hypertension in our study in contrast to an earlier observation in which mixed diet showed a protective effect. [15] The awareness of hypertension was higher among persons with higher educational status, in contrast to the observation from a recent study from Spain. [16] Moreover, prevalence of hypertension was less among those with higher educational status.
The high prevalence of prehypertensive state among young adults detected in this study should be an eye-opener for the healthcare providers to implement educational and preventive strategies in order to reduce the burden of hypertension in the society. Increasing awareness among youngsters through academic institutions and audio visual media may be a reasonable long-term strategy for education about the disease.
Coexistence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension was found to be very common in this study. The risk for the development of chronic kidney and heart disease is additive in individuals with this dangerous coexistance. [1] ,[2] ,[3] ,[17]
The prevalence of hypertension was 70% in people above the age of 70 years with a female preponderance but only 15% of them were taking antihypertensive medications. This finding has serious medico-social implications with the recent trends in the growth of the elderly population in Kerala are considered. The low birth rate in Kerala and the resultant small family size, the increasing number of young adults seeking employment abroad, and the under developed social welfare systems for elderly-care in the state compound the inadequate health care for the elderly individuals.
The prevalence of chronic renal failure (CRF) among adults was found to be 7850/million in a large community-based study from South Delhi. [18] The prevalence of CRF is much higher in the western societies where the prevalence is estimated to be 47000/million. [19] A major chunk of these patients had diabetes, hypertension, or were above 55 years. There are no large-scale population-based surveys from India seeking the prevalence of CRF among people with diabetes mellitus and hypertension. In our study, 15.2% of the hypertensive patients had diabetes mellitus. This implies that the prevalence of CRF would be much higher in this study population and should be investigated in future studies.
The main limitation of this study is that blood pressure has been checked within a period of 30 minutes, which should have been confirmed on further follow up. However, since the study has been done in the community, which has representative samples of different regions with different dietary habits and having different levels of physical activity, occupational and cultural characteristics, the scientific relevance of the observations is high.
We conclude that the prevalence of hypertension and prehypertensive state is high in Kerala, South India. The prevalence of hypertension increases with older age, high dietary salt intake and co-existent diabetes mellitus. The low level of awareness of the problem among the population necessitates urgent medical and social intervention. Improvement of the awareness for hypertension and the early detection and treatment of high blood pressure in the community may reduce the risk of development of chronic kidney diseases and heart diseases.
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Correspondence Address:
Joseph M Pappachan
Kottayam Medical College, Kottayam, Kerala, South India 686008
India
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PMID: 19587522 
[Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3], [Table 4] |
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