Prevalence and Determinants of Prehypertension Among Adult Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi

Background: A worldwide health concern, hypertension causes many complications, such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic renal disease, and premature heart failure. Prehypertension, a transition condition that lies between normal and raised blood pressure, can lead to sustained hypertension if it remains undiagnosed or untreated. This study was designed to identify the incidence of prehypertension and its contributing factors in adult patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at the Family Medicine department in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. A total of 384 adult patients between the ages of 18 and 65 were chosen by using non-probability consecutive sampling. A standardized questionnaire addressing dietary, lifestyle, and sociodemographic practices was used to gather data. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure readings were obtained. It was followed by data analysis via SPSS software. Results: The prevalence of prehypertension among the 384 participants, who represented a range of ethnic backgrounds, was 49.5% with females accounting for majority (69%), and the median age was 42. Prehypertension was significantly correlated with older age, as the results show that the odds of having prehypertension was higher among participants with age > 40 years as compared to age ≤ 40 years [aOR 1.62 95% CI 1.04-2.54, p-value 0.032]. Similarly, among obese patients, the odds of having prehypertension were higher as compared to underweight patients [aOR 5.88, 95% CI 1.69-20.42]. In addition, the odds of having prehypertension among patients having an intermediate level of education were lower as compared to having no formal education [aOR 0.37, 95% CI 0.187-0.74, p-value 0.005]. Conclusions: The possible prevalence of prehypertension among adult patients in Karachi is highlighted by this study. Age, gender, BMI, marital status, and education are important factors. These results demonstrated the necessity of focused treatments and regulations to control prehypertension, stressing the significance of early identification and lifestyle changes to prevent its development and consequences.