Hypertension among newly diagnosed diabetic patients at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hypertension in patients with diabetes is approximately two-fold higher than in age-matched subjects without the disease and, conversely, individuals with hypertension are at increased risk of developing diabetes compared with normotensive persons. Up to 75% of cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with diabetes are attributed to hypertension. Diabetics who have hypertension are more likely to develop complications and die, and appropriate blood pressure control in these individuals reduces the risk. This study sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with hypertension among newly diagnosed adult diabetic patients in a national referral hospital in Uganda. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, conducted between June 2014 and January 2015, we recruited 201 newly diagnosed adult diabetic patients. Information on patients’ socio-demographics was obtained using a pre-tested questionnaire, while biophysical profile, blood pressure measurement, biochemical testing and echocardiographic findings were obtained by the research team for all the participants. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association of several factors with hypertension. RESULTS: Of the 201 patients recruited, 102 were male (50.8%) and the mean age was 46 ± 15 years. The majority of patients (159) had type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (79.1%) with a mean HbA(1c) level of 13.9 ± 5.3%. The prevalence of hypertension was 61.9% (95% CI: 54.8–68.6%). Knowledge of hypertension status was at 56 (27.7%) patients, 24 (44.4%) hypertensives were on treatment, and 19 (33.9%) were using ACE inhibitors/ angiotensin receptor blockers. The independent factors associated with hypertension were being employed (OR 0.37, 95% CI: 0.16–0.90, p = 0.029) and being overweight or obese (OR 11.6, 95% CI: 4.29–31.2, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension was high in this population of newly diagnosed diabetics, few patients had knowledge of their hypertension status and few were on appropriate treatment. Both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors were associated with hypertension in this group. Therefore routine assessment, treatment and control of hypertension among diabetics is necessary to prevent cardiovascular complications and death. There is also a need to address the modifiable risk factors.