Vol. 9, Issue 7, Part D (2023)

Background: Around the world, cardiovascular (CVD) disease-related fatalities are significantly influenced by hypertension. Many persons with high blood pressure in developing countries are unaware of their condition. A diagnosis of hypertension may prevent some people from receiving therapy. It leads to a high prevalence of renal failure, heart disease, stroke, early death, and disability. This study's goal is to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension among individuals in Ernakulum town, as well as to define the risk factors connected to it.

Materials and Methods: From January to March 2023, a community-based cross-sectional research was carried out. Semi-structured questionnaires that were administered by interviewers were used to gather information on the sociodemographic and behavioural traits of the participants. Using standardised measuring equipment, physical measures such as body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure were taken. Data for the statistical analysis were gathered using SPSS version 21. To show the findings, a single-variable logistic regression model was utilised. In a multivariable study, a p-value less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant at a 95% confidence level.

Results: Total 500 patients were included in this study. The mean age of the participants was 38.35 ±12.48years, the majority of them, 427 (85.4%), were under the age of 40; and most of them, 354 (70.8%), were married people. The detailed socio-demographic characteristics of the study participants are shown in Table 1. Of these, 340 (68%) were males and 160 (32%) were females. Among the research participants, undetected hypertension was present in 23.2% of cases overall.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that untreated hypertension is a significant public health issue in the study region. The likelihood of undetected hypertension is increased by living in a home with a low wealth index, being distant from a medical facility, being underweight, using smokeless tobacco products, and knowing little about the condition. Information on the health effects of hypertension, especially for smokers, may help people identify their risk for the condition and lessen its concealed severity.