Hypertensive Retinopathy among Patients with Hypertension Attending the Department of Ophthalmology in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is one of the major cardiovascular diseases leading to disability or death. Persistently elevated blood pressure leads to retinal vascular changes, also known as hypertensive retinopathy. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of hypertensive retinopathy among patients with hypertension attending the Department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary care centre. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among hypertensives patients presenting to the Department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary care centre from 1 June 2022 to 1 February 2023 after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: CMC-IRC 078/079-228). Those patients who did not provide informed consent and patients with chronic debilitating systemic conditions, patients encountered in emergency wards, and hypertensive patients below 15 years of age and above 75 years of age were excluded from the study. Convenience sampling was done. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. RESULTS: Among 336 study participants, hypertensive retinopathy was found in 66 (19.64%) (15.39-23.89, 95% Confidence Interval) study subjects in at least one eye. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hypertensive retinopathy was lower in our study when compared to other studies.