Coincidence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension in a semi-urban Cameroonian population: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are increasingly common in population within Africa. We determined the rate of coincident diabetes and hypertension and assessed the levels of co-awareness, treatment and control in a semi-urban population in Cameroon. METHODS: A total of 1702 adults (967 women) self-selected from the community were consecutively recruited in Bafoussam (West region of Cameroon) during November 2012. Existing diabetes and hypertension and treatments were investigated and blood pressure and fasting blood glucose measured. Multinomial logistic regressions models were used to investigate the determinants of prevalent diabetes and hypertension. RESULTS: Age-standardized prevalence rates (95% confidence intervals) men vs. women were 40.4% (34.7 to 46.1) and 23.8% (20.4 to 27.2) for hypertension alone; 3.3% (1.5 to 5.1) and 5.6% (3.5 to 7.7) for diabetes alone; and 3.9% (2.6 to 5.2) and 5.0% (3.5 to 6.5) for hypertension and diabetes. The age-standardized awareness, treatment and control rates for hypertension alone were 6.5%, 86.4% and 37.2% for men, and 24.3%, 52.1% and 51.6% in women. Equivalent figures for diabetes alone were 35.4%, 65.6% and 23.1% in men and 26.4%, 75.5% and 33.7% in women; and those for hypertension and diabetes were 86.6%, 3.3% and 0% in men, and 74.7%, 22.6% and 0% in women. Sex, age and adiposity were the main determinants of the three conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Coincident diabetes and hypertension is as high as diabetes alone in this population, driven by sex, age and adiposity. Awareness, treatment and control remain unacceptably low.