The Prevalence and Associated Factors of Hypertension among HIV Patients

BACKGROUND: The dual burden of cardiovascular diseases and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in sub-Saharan Africa is of public health concern. Persons living with HIV are 1.5–2 times more likely to develop CVD risk factors compared to the noninfected individuals. Hypertension is a major risk factor leading to the rising CVD epidemic in SSA. However, the burden of hypertension among HIV patients in Kenya is not well documented. OBJECTIVE: This study determined the prevalence and the associated factors of hypertension among HIV patients receiving regular care at Thika Level 5 Hospital Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC), within metropolitan Nairobi, Kenya. METHODS: The current cross-sectional study involved review of patients' records/charts. Charts for adult patients seen in the last 6 months at Thika Level 5 Hospital CCC were included in the study. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg on two different readings one month apart, while overweight/obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m(2). RESULTS: In a sample of 939 HIV patients, the majority, 68.8% (646), were female. The patients' ages ranged from 18 to 84 years with a median age of 44 (IQR 37–51) years. The mean BMI was higher for females (25.8 kg/m(2)) compared to that of males (23.1 kg/m(2)). However, the prevalence of hypertension was higher among males (25.3%) compared to females (16.9%). Age >40 years (AOR = 2.80, p ≤ 0.001), male sex (AOR = 2.10; p=0.04), history of alcohol consumption (AOR = 2.56, p ≤ 0.001), and being overweight/obese (AOR = 2.77 p ≤ 0.001) were significantly associated with hypertension. The antiretroviral (ARV) regimen and, additionally, the duration of antiretroviral therapy had no association with being hypertensive. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension is high among HIV patients. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were associated with hypertension, but no association was observed with ART regime or duration of ARV use. There is a need to integrate hypertension management into regular HIV care.