Prevalence of Hypertension in Outpatient Consultations in a Cardiology Department in West Africa in Dakar, Senegal According to "MY MEASURE MONTH"

Objectives: This study, conducted as part of the "My Measure Month" program in collaboration with the French Society of Hypertension, aimed to investigate the prevalence of hypertension, emphasize the importance of measuring blood pressure. Methodology: This was an observational and cross-sectional study conducted over one month in the outpatient department of a center specialized in hypertension management. The study included patients aged over 18 years. We examined hypertension data (duration, treatments, compliance) and cardiovascular risk factors. Blood pressure was measured. Three measurements were taken at one-minute intervals. In the bivariate analysis, a p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 45.6%. Hypertension was more frequent in women (54.2%), and the most represented age group was 50 to 70 years, with a prevalence exceeding 70% in patients over 70 years old. In our sample, 13% of patients not previously known to be hypertensive had elevated blood pressure readings. Successive measurements showed variations in hypertension grades, with a progressive decrease in patients with grade II and III hypertension. Among hypertensive patients, 93% had no coverage for their medications. Most patients were on pharmacological treatment, but a significant proportion remained uncontrolled (36.2%), especially those on dual therapy. Bivariate analysis showed that age ≥ 65 years, smoking, dyslipidemia and heart failure were significantly associated with hypertension. Conclusion: An integrated strategy for prevention, screening, and treatment is crucial to reduce the burden of hypertension in this population, improve the quality of life for hypertensive patients.