Hypertension Related Knowledge and Its Relationship with Control of High Blood Pressure in Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: High blood pressure (HBP) is a leading major risk factor for chronic diseases such as CKD, CADx, and deaths. The prevalence of patients with hypertension (HT) has risen from 600 million in 1980 to one billion in 2008. Aims and Objectives: The basic aim of the study is to find the relationship of knowledge about hypertension with the control of blood pressure. Methodology of the Study: This cross sectional study was conducted in Mayo hospital Lahore from January 2021 to July 2021. The data was collected from 100 patients with high blood pressure who visited the OPD of our hospital. A questionnaire was prepared by the researchers in accordance with the literature to measure the level of knowledge about HT. Results: The data was collected from 100 patients of both genders. On comparison of questions related to knowledge, there was a statistically significant difference in; meaning of hypertension (p <0.001), target SBP (p0.001), target DBP (p 0.001), importance of SBP versus DBP, improvement of health with lowering of blood pressure (p 0.002), high blood pressure being asymptomatic (p <0.001), changing lifestyle improves blood pressure (p 0.003), hypertension being a lifelong disease (<0.001), lifelong treatment with anti-hypertensives (<0.001) and high blood pressure being part of aging (<0.001). Conclusion: It is concluded that patients who were aware that elevated BP levels lead to reductions in life expectancy had a higher compliance level with medication use and follow-up visits than patients without this awareness.