Undiagnosed elevated blood pressure and its life style related risk factors among adults: Cross sectional survey.

Abstract

Globally, high blood pressure (BP) is a main health problem among adult population. High BP is considered as a major risk factor which may lead to many cardiovascular diseases. Globally, it is also the leading cause of death. According to the American Heart Association, a BP of 120/80 mm of Hg is a normal range but when the systolic blood pressure ≥130 and diastolic blood pressure ≥80, it is always labeled as hypertension. In the present study, the researchers wanted to identify the prevalence of undiagnosed elevated blood pressure in the adult population of Uttarakhand, India and also try to explore its lifestyle-related risk factors. This study was an exploratory survey with a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 440 participants by using the cluster sampling technique. The male:female ratio among participants was 1:4 and most of the participants were aged 25-30 years. The study found that the prevalence of high blood pressure was 26%, in which marginal elevated BP prevalence was 16%, hypertension stage I was 7%, and hypertension Stage II was 3% which is significantly higher in number at a young age. Lifestyle-related risk factors showed a significant association of hypertensive status with gender, consumption of balanced diet, and personal habits. This increases the chances of elevated blood pressure in young adults. All health professionals must be sensitized for elevated blood pressure problems among the young adult populations. Elevated blood pressure should be considered as a warning alarm at an early age when prescribing any medication and during any invasive procedure. Awareness should be created among public regarding elevated blood pressure issues at a younger age and motivate people to adopt a healthy and stress-free lifestyle.