A cross-sectional analysis on hypertension: Exploring the impact of lifestyle modifications and antihypertensive drug adherence in Sudan.

Abstract

Background: Sudan has a high prevalence of hypertension or high blood pressure, a key risk factor for cardiovascular illnesses. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics, antihypertensive medication adherence, lifestyle changes, and the relationships between these factors and blood pressure control.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to August 2023 in tertiary care hospitals in Sudan. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information from 385 hypertensive individuals who participated in the study.

Results: The results estimated a positive correlation between the independent variables measuring medication adherence. Diet, stress management, and exercise also moderately correlated with each other and the independent variables. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels had a high correlation at 0.93, and most variables correlated moderately with the dependent variable of blood pressure control. The regression model (R = 0.698) using the dependent variable (blood pressure control) as the outcome strongly correlated with the independent variables, explaining almost 49% of the variance in hypertension control. It was observed that blood pressure control was significantly predicted by adherence to antihypertensive medication, proper diet, exercise, and stress reduction among the participants.

Conclusion: The study emphasizes the significance of lifestyle changes for effective hypertension control, specifically adherence to antihypertensive medication, diet, exercise, and stress management. Hypertensive patients in Sudan experienced much better blood pressure control and a decreased risk of cardiovascular problems after changing their lifestyle.