Prevalence, Predictors, and Outcomes of Resistant Hypertension in Egyptian Population

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a leading problem; it affects around thirty million adult Egyptians, according to the last national registry. The exact prevalence of resistant hypertension (RH) in Egypt wasn’t spotted before. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, predictors, and impact on adverse cardiovascular outcomes among adult Egyptians with RH. METHODS: The present study examined a cohort of 990 hypertensive patients who were divided into two groups based on their blood pressure control; group I (n = 842) patients who achieved blood pressure control and group II (n = 148) patients who met the RH definition criteria. All patients underwent a close follow-up for one year to evaluate the major cardiovascular events. RESULTS: The prevalence of RH was 14.9%. The main predictors impacting the cardiovascular outcomes of RH were advanced age (≥65 years), the presence of chronic kidney diseases, a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2), and NSAID use. After one year of follow-up, the RH group displayed noticeably higher rates of major cardiovascular events, including new-onset atrial fibrillation (6.8% vs. 2.5%, P = 0.006), cerebral stroke (4.1% vs. 1.2%, P = 0.011), myocardial infarction (4.7% vs. 1.3%, P = 0.004), and acute heart failure (4.7% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of RH in Egypt is moderately high. Patients with RH have a far higher risk of cardiovascular events than those whose blood pressure is within control.