Objectives: To determine the prevalence of hypertension, and the extent to which it is treated and controlled, among adult Ghanaians. Design: adults, aged 25 years and older, were selected by random cluster sampling, using electoral enumeration areas and listings of adults. Setting: Three communities in the greater Accra region of Ghana. The analysis used the mean of 2 blood pressure readings, taken with a mercury sphygmomanometer after a minute rest.
Results: The mean ages for males and females were The crude prevalence of hypertension was The age-standardized prevalence, to the new standard world population, was Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased with age. Conclusion: Hypertension is a major public health problem, and is associated with relatively low levels of awareness, drug treatment, and blood pressure control.
Population-based prevention strategies, such as reduction in salt intake and integration of hypertension care into primary care, may prove beneficial; however, the determinants of hypertension remain to be ascertained.
Abstract Objectives: To determine the prevalence of hypertension, and the extent to which it is treated and controlled, among adult Ghanaians. Publication types Research Support, Non-U.
