Hypertension and associated factors among patients attending HIV clinic at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Objectives: This study determined the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among patients attending the HIV clinic at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).

Design: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at KBTH. The prevalence of hypertension was estimated among study participants, and socio-demographic, lifestyle, anthropometric, metabolic and HIV/ART-related factors associated with hypertension were determined by logistic regression modelling.

Setting: Study participants were recruited from the HIV clinic at the KBTH.

Participants: A total of 311 Persons Living with HIV were recruited as study participants.

Interventions: Simple random sampling technique was used to recruit study participants. A questionnaire adapted from the WHO STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk-factor surveillance was used to collect study participants' data.

Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 36.7%, and the factors associated with hypertension were increasing age, positive family history of hypertension, minimal exercising, current BMI ≥25.0 kg/m², total cholesterol level ≥5.17 mmol/L, exposure to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and increasing duration of ART exposure.

Conclusions: This study shows a high prevalence of hypertension among patients attending the HIV clinic at KBTH, associated with exposure to ART and increasing duration of this exposure. Blood pressure monitoring should move from routine to a more purposeful screening of patients for hypertension. Patients with the identified risk factors should be encouraged to have regular blood pressure measurements at home and not only when they visit the HIV clinic.

Funding: Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID) of the University of Ghana. The funding agency was not involved in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.