Assessment of Egyptian Adult’s Knowledge and Perspectives on Hypertension and the Role of Capsicum, Turmeric & Garlic to Control It: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

ypertension is one of the avoidable diseases, prevention can be done by adopting healthy eating habits. There is growing interest in using alternative plants and herbal as medicines to treat and prevent hypertension. The study aims to explore the knowledge of Egyptian adults about hypertension and their perspectives to control it by consumption of capsicum, garlic, and turmeric. Methods: a cross-sectional study. The 1008 participants need to fill anonymous questionnaire (Google form). They answer questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, history of hypertension, dietary habits, and use of turmeric, capsicum, and garlic to control hypertension. The study revealed (76.1 %) had a positive family history of hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was (18.9%) in the studied group as perceived. Their knowledge about hypertension was from reading (39.3%) and social media (30.4%). (31 %) reported a reduction of salt intake to control hypertension. (30.9%) of the studied group trusted natural remedies to control BP. Participants who consume chili, garlic, and turmeric regularly noticed changes in their blood pressure (25 %, 35 %, 37.5 %) respectively. There was a significant association between the frequency of garlic, chili, and turmeric consumed and a change in blood pressure P ≤ 0.05. Conclusion: knowledge about hypertension was from reading and social media, changing dietary habits such as decreasing salt intake, and trust in herbs such as chili, garlic, and turmeric to control hypertension. Regular consumption of herbs may have a potential effect in lowering blood pressure, further studies are recommended.