Heavy khat (Catha edulis) chewing and dyslipidemia as modifiable hypertensive risk factors among patients in Southwest, Ethiopia: Unmatched case-control study

BACKGROUND: The burden of hypertension is more devastating in low-and middle-income countries, including sub-Saharan Africa than in high-income countries. Among the modifiable risk factors, dyslipidemia and khat chewing were expanding at an alarming rate in Ethiopia but were still underestimated. Thus, this study aimed to assess heavy khat (Catha edulis) chewing and dyslipidemia as modifiable hypertensive risk factors among patients in the southwest, Ethiopia. METHODS: A facility-based case-control study was conducted among 136 cases and 270 controls from May 15 to July 30, 2017. A consecutive sampling technique was used in this study. Epi data version 3.1.1 and SPSS version 21 were used for data entry and analysis. Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Both crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were reported. RESULTS: The majority of the cases had a total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein ratio of >5 (72.1%). The odds of hypertension increased among participants who had attended no formal education [AOR = 2.25, 95% CI: (1.05–4.82)], history of alcohol consumption [AOR = 5.93,95% CI:(3.11–11.30)], moderate khat chewing [AOR = 3.68, 95% CI:(1.69,8.01)], heavy khat chewing [AOR = 18.18, 95% CI: (3.56–92.89)], mild intensity physical activity [AOR = 3.01, 95% CI: (1.66–5.47)], type of oil used for food preparation [AOR = 2.81, 95% CI: (1.49–5.28)], and dyslipidemia [AOR = 6.68, 95% CI: (2.93–15.23)]. CONCLUSION: The study showed that modifiable risk factors were the major factors associated with the development of hypertension. The findings of this study highlighted that health education is needed to focus on physical exercise, quitting excess alcohol consumption, quitting khat chewing by giving special emphasis to those who had no formal education. In addition, consideration should be given to a healthy diet free of cholesterol and unhealthy behavior.