The prevalence of hypertension and associated factors among Patients with diabetes mellitus at kiruddu referral hospital.

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM), is a highly prevalent non-communicable disease and one of the fastest growing global health emergencies of the 21 st Century. Hypertension (HTN) may precede the onset of DM and these often coexist, which increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among diabetics. Studies indicate that Hypertension is twice as frequent in patients with diabetes compared to the non-diabetic individuals. Methods: A descriptive hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 246 patients with diabetes seeking routine medical care at the Diabetic Clinic of Kiruddu Referral Hospital using a quantitative approach to determine the prevalence and factors associated with hypertension among patients with diabetes. Results: The coexistence of hypertension was reported among one hundred thirteen participants (45.9%). At multivariate analysis, using logistic regression model, the factors that remained significant were: Age (AOR=12.468, 95% CI: 4.298 – 36.171), Obesity category (AOR=2.630, 95% CI: 0.324 – 5.308), and having ever smoked (AOR=0.028, 95% CI: 0.006 – 0.179). Conclusion: These findings demonstrate a high prevalence of hypertension, the prevalence of hypertension among patients with diabetes has been extensively studied in other African countries ranging between 44.2% to 80% (Akalu&Belsti, 2020; Al-Azzam et al., 2021; Alanazi et al., 2017; Bassi et al., 2018; Mariye et al., 2019; Mohamed et al., 2021), among diabetics with an overwhelming risk are the elderly of 60 years and above, those with obesity and patients that had a history of smoking. Recommendations Recommendations to patients Diabetic patients are encouraged to regularly screen for hypertension for timely diagnosis and close monitoring of the comorbidity especially among the elderly.