Analysis and identification of symptoms and risk factors in a cohort of chronic hypertensive patients in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HT) is identified as a highly prevalent cardiovascular risk factor and also as a separate disease entity, leading to significant mortality and morbidity. The rate of HT is increasing worldwide with a faster rate identified in developing countries. Thus, it is important to evaluate epidemiological patterns of chronic HT in a developing country like Sri Lanka. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at the Teaching Hospital Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, to assess symptoms and risk factors among patients with chronic HT. RESULTS: In a cohort of 266 chronic hypertensives, the mean values for age of population, age of onset, and duration of HT, respectively, are 63, 45, and 8 years. At presentation, 24.8% were asymptomatic. The commonest presentation at diagnosis was dizziness accounting for 33.8% cases, followed by chest pain, headache, loss of consciousness, and shortness of breath accounting for 7.5%, 13.5%, 2.6%, and 4.5%, respectively. Approximately 36.5% of patients had a positive family history. Fathers of 7.1% patients, mothers of 19.2%, and both parents of 10.2% patients had HT. 38.7% of patients had one or more siblings with HT. 34.6% had diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: Symptoms of those with HT are mostly nonspecific and should be considered as possible warning signs prior to the development of sinister complications of the disease. Family history of HT with affected siblings, or one of the parents, was, observed in more than one-third of patients. Early screening and prevention of modifiable risk factors are important in these patients to prevent debilitating complications.