Clinicoetiological profile of adult hypertensive patients in a remote tertiary care hospital of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract Background: Hypertension (HTN) has become a serious public health problem and one out of every five Indians has it. We conducted this study to find out the clinicoetiological profile of hypertensive patients in Chamba, which is a remote aspirational district of Himachal Pradesh. Materials and Methods: It was a prospective, hospital-based, cross-sectional study. 207 consecutive adult hypertensive patients presenting to the internal medicine department, of a tertiary care center, satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria during the study period, i.e., from October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. Joint National Committee 8 guidelines were followed for measurements and grading of HTN. Results: Most of patients were in the age group of 41–60 years (53.1%). Young hypertensives (18–40 years) constituted only 13.5%. Nonadherence to the antihypertensive therapy was found as a major concern. 47.3% of the patients were asymptomatic. Overweight and obesity in 67.1%, prediabetes in 25.1% and diabetes mellitus (DM) in 34.8%, were the most common comorbidities. Dyslipidemia was the consistent finding in 34.8% of the subjects. Both, dyslipidemia and DM, were seen in 26.7%. 131(63.3%) patients had systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mmHg, while diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >90 mmHg was found in 106 (51.2%). In 111(54%) patients, both SBP and DBP was raised. Around 30 (14.5%) patients fitted into syndrome X. Conclusion: The study highlights multifactorial nature of the HTN in rural and tribal population of Chamba. As HTN is mostly asymptomatic, unless it causes irreversible damage, there is an urgent need for people to change their attitude toward prevention and control of HTN along with strengthening of screening at primary care level and promoting lifestyle modifications.