Prevalence of hypertension among the elderly people of Belagavi city, Karnataka: A community based cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: The definition of hypertension does not change with age. In elder people Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) of>140 mm Hg and a Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) of >90 mm is hypertension. As both SBP and DBP increase with age, SBP rises gradually until the age of 70 or 80, whereas DBP increases until the age of 50 or 60 and then both may decline or level up. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension among elderly population aged 60 years and above. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among elderly population aged 60 years and above. A pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was administered to collect data. Blood pressure, height and weight were measured and recorded. Average of the readings was noted. Ethical clearance was obtained and informed consent taken from study participants. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20. Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension among the study participants was 49.99%. Among the hypertensive subjects, prevalence of hypertension among male subjects was 12% (48) and in female subjects was 13% (52). About 37.8% (151) were already aware of their hypertension status. Conclusion: Prevalence of hypertension among elderly was high in urban areas of Belagavi city. The prevalence of hypertension was high among females than in males.

Keywords

• Prevalence
• Hypertension
• Elderly
• Urban